


The Right Girl in the Wrong Place

by postal_ech



Category: Half-Life, The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: (The Canon-Divergence only applying to The Walking Dead section of this story), A crossover no one asked for, Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Drama, Gen, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2018-12-31 04:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 76,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12124299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/postal_ech/pseuds/postal_ech
Summary: When Clementine is thrown into a Post-Combine Earth by the illusive G-Man, she finds herself joining The One Free Man - Doctor Gordon Freeman himself - and members of the Lambda Resistance Movement in an attempt to survive in this harsh, new world she's found herself in.In a world where a multiversal alien empire rules with an iron fist and where humanity is nothing but a fragment of its former glory, she'll find that survival isn't the only thing to worry about......especially when the Combine are thrown into the equation...





	1. Prologue: Unforeseen Consequences

**Author's Note:**

> Firstly, this is a port of the story placed on Fanfic.net. It is entirely a Half-Life/Telltale's Walking Dead crossover
> 
> Clementine is about nine years old, with the story starting off just after the events of the final episode of Season 1.
> 
> This story will attempt to follow the canon of Half-Life 2, though most of the canon will be altered slightly in order to accommodate an outside character, like Clementine. I also have plans to expand upon Episodes 1, 2, and 3 in the future, but as stated before some of the canon will be altered slightly in order to accommodate someone like Clementine.
> 
> In all honesty, this is dedicated to the Half-Life Franchise as a whole, sparked mainly by Mark Laidlaw's post leaking Episode 3's story. Held this series of games close to my heart as much as the other medium listed here (among a few other things.  
> Rest in Peace, Gordon, you wonderful bastard you).
> 
> Anyways, hope you all enjoy the story!
> 
> (FINAL NOTE: For those who come from fanfic.net, Chapter 1 will be renamed to Prologue: Unforeseen Consequences, as it was too short to be considered a fully-fledged chapter.)

  _(Cover Art made by Yours Truly)_

 

Prologue: Unforseen Consequences

 

A silence was in the air. A dull, unforgettable stillness which hung over the sunset-drenched hills as a tear-struck Clementine sat near the outskirts of Savannah, her outfit covered in dried Walker’s blood. Having just killed her guardian, Lee, not too long ago, the little girl attempted to take her mind off of the events prior by studying stray shotgun shells near her feet. Unfortunately...she couldn’t help but think back to the advice that he gave her, prior to being shot:

_“Find a group and stick with them.”_

The thought dwelled within her mind for a long time as she tried to figure out where to go...

Those thoughts soon turned to her more recent memories, primarily about the time she spent with her group; The first time she met Lee, Kenny, Duck, and Katjaa, the unforgettable experience at the pharmacy, the time she spent with Duck and the others at the Motel, the RV ride away from the Motel, Lilly shooting Carley, even the train ride to Savannah, all the way until she found herself locked in a room with a man she barely knew, scared for her life.

That is, until Lee came in and saved her. With her help, he killed her kidnapper mercilessly - choking him out without even a second thought.

Of course, that would be overshadowed when one has to walk through a herd of Walkers that shambled their way into the center of Savannah. Things only got worse as she saw her undead parents standing outside, skin rotting and eyes devoid of life, practically unrecognizable within the crowd.

Then, as if on cue, Lee passes out right in front of her...right in the middle of a horde of undead monsters

...which would lead up to where she is now.

Slowly, however, she begins to faintly recall seeing a man in a blue suit watching her...though he would be just out of sight, he never seemed to try and hide himself. 

His first appearance, as far as she could recall, was when she hid in her tree house during the opening hours of the Apocalypse. There, she saw him standing just outside of that little sanctuary of hers, staring at her from the porch. It was only until she called for her baby sitter when he seemingly vanished into thin air, as if he never existed in the first place. This went on for months after she met Lee, from the Pharmacy to the Motor Inn, St. John's Dairy, the Train, and eventually Savannah itself. The last time she remembered seeing that strange man was the last time she saw Lee - standing by the exit of the store, staring her down in a strangely unsettling fashion, his briefcase held closely to his side.

As she begins to delve into her imagination as to who this stranger was, an unfamiliar voice disturbs the still air around her. One that sends a pin of fear through her entire body.

_“Miss Clementine, we meet at last."_

Clementine quickly turns around to see the same man in the dark blue suit standing close behind, holding a suitcase in one hand and adjusting his tie in the other. She falls to the ground with a small yelp,  quickly crawling away from this ‘G-Man' and aiming her pistol towards his chest. In turn, he responds with a rather irritated scowl, clearing his throat soon after.

"I know this may be...rather sudden, but I have been...observing your performance and, I must admit, you've...interested me with your...aptitude...for survival.”

“Wh-...what?! Who are you?!”

That's what she wanted to say, at least. in fact she wanted to scream at this man, but all she could do was cover her eyes as a blinding green light surrounded her. Before she knows it, she finds herself standing aboard an unfamiliar tram. The tram itself seemed to be suspended in...absolutely nothing, not even a set of rails to guide it were present. Everything outside looked pitch black, with the exception of a few specks of lights that pass by the windows as it drove on to an unknown destination.

“My dear, I do not have the time for such...trivial matters, so I will make this quick. I’ve also taken the liberty of removing your weapon, as to...ensure my own safety.”

Shocked, Clementine quickly pats herself down to find that he was correct; her pistol was nowhere to be found, as if it had completely vaporized into nothing the moment she arrived on the tram. The more she attempted to wrap her head around what was going on, the more confused and terrified she became, only being brought back to her senses by this strange man clearing his throat once again.

“Now, if you will listen...I have taken note of you and your...adaptability, and I must admit, I have always been rather fond of those who adapt and survive against impossible odds. Such a young and scarred child capable of...charging...through such insurmountable circumstances and thriving in them is something that...cannot be ignored. By my own...initiative, and...conviction, I have been authorized by my...employeers...to give you a singular opportunity...a 'reassignment in occupations'...if you will...a chance for something...better?”

“W...w-what are you talking about? Who a-are you, w-what am I doing here?!” Clementine would finally yell as she backed away from the man, who once again only responds with a subtle form of irritation.

“My dear...I am not at liberty to say...but this is a once in a lifetime...opportunity. And such an 'asset', if you don't mind me saying such, would...benefit...from a...change...in setting.”

Suddenly, the tram's entrance slowly opens beside the G-Man to reveal a pale green rift of unknown energy - something that causes Clementine to release a small, quiet, yet terrified gasp.

“Now, you may come along with me and...enter your new...shall we say…’occupation.' Should You choose otherwise...well...” He swallows a bit, and takes in a deep breath. "I can offer you a position you have no chance of...surviving...rather an anticlimax after what you've just been through.

He turns towards the rift, but his eyes remain on the girl. “It’s time to choose now...and if I can make one more...suggestion; you should choose...wisely…”

Giving her a rather sinister smirk, he walks into the rift, and with a flash of green light...he vanishes into thin air.

At first, Clementine keeps her back pressed against the glass of the tram, scanning the interior of the vehicle as to where this 'G-Man' might've gone...but then she began to think on his words carefully...or as carefully as she could.

_“I can offer you a position you have no chance of surviving…”_

_"...Is...Is he going to kill me? Is...he going to just...leave me here to starve?"_

The thought alone terrified her beyond all belief, even if she didn't know what awaited her ahead. She slowly began to imagine herself sitting in one of the seats, frail and sickly, too hungry to move, yet too terrified to enter the rift...

It was a Scenario she didn't want to test.

With that in mind, she attempts to look for another way off the Tram, trying everything from the windows to the defunct control panel, and when desperation began to set in she even tried to search for a hidden emergency hatch. All of which would be to no avail, as the only way out would be the green rift sitting just outside of the tram door. Soon enough she slowly approaches the rift that awaited her outside of the tram, and looks around for a moment as if to consider her options.

On one end, she could wait and see what happens if she never went inside the rift...but on the other end that thought of being killed by whatever this G-Man had in mind was, in her opinion, worst than becoming a walker. In the end, she chooses the only option she could see; she closes her eyes tightly, takes a deep breath, and enters the rift in front of her. What she sees next was pure darkness, followed by the voice of the G-Man reverberating within.

“Very good, my dear! I knew you would choose wisely! I will see you...up ahead…”

And with that, everything becomes silent...


	2. Chapter 1: Anomalous Circumstances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being forcibly taken under the wing of the mysterious G-Man, Clementine now finds herself near a seemingly abandoned dam...and meets some new faces in the process.

 

_Cover image was made by yours truly._

Silence.

That’s all Clementine could hear as she waited for something - anything - to happen. She wanted to open her eyes to see exactly where she was, but doing so only revealed nothing but the void laid out in front of her.

Silence.

She began to wonder if this was a good idea at all, slowly beginning to consider the idea that staying on the tram would have been better than standing in complete darkness. She waited for the G-Man to finally do something - anything, at this point - to get her out of there.

But all there was instead was Silence.

The only thing she could really hear was her uneven, nervous breathing as she anticipated the G-Man’s next action, her thoughts swirling around in her head. She had so many questions running through her mind, but none of them would be answered in this dark void. To keep her mind off of the possibility of being stranded there forever, she began to think back to all the times she spotted the G-Man, whereas others never noticed his presence, silently watching them all from a distance whilst they attempted to survive in a world where the dead ruled over the living.

She then recalls her final moments with Lee, when she left the building and snuck past the herd of walkers, she turned back to see that G-Man standing in the entrance. Her tear-struck eyes barely made out any feature save for that blue suit and the suitcase he held, but when she rubbed her eyes the only thing she saw afterwards was that man walking into the building. Strangely enough she recalled the walkers barely noticing him the whole time he was standing ther...almost as if he was an illusion. Soon, as she continued to think in this dark stasis, she came to the conclusion that the man was an anomaly to begin with, something that could never be truly explained by her logic, and so it never really surprised her afterwards. Eventually as time continued to possibly crawl onwards, she would hear that now-distinct, raspy voice piercing the void.

_“Rise and shine, Miss Clementine. Rise...and...shine.”_

With these words, Clementine would begin to experience visions of the G-Man floating past her, alongside the area where she once was.

“Not to imply that you have been sleeping…for long, but no one is more deserving of a rest as you are, my dear, especially after all you've...well...let’s just say that we’ve...arrived...at your destination” Eventually, the visions would show Savannah as it currently was, though the only exception would be the lack of Walkers. That soon changes as the buildings in front of her became more decayed than ever, with remnants of what seemed to be a lost battle slowly coming into view. The Mason Hotel laid in ruins, with old military vehicles blocking the streets leading up to it. The hospital was completely gone, replaced only be a large pile of rubble, and even the house the group had stayed in prior was damaged beyond repair. The whole city looked as if it was almost razed to the ground, and while she was taking in these sights, the G-Man would begin to speak to her again.

“As I once told a...colleague...of mine... _The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference…in the world._ ” Suddenly, the vision shifted from the decaying setting of Savannah to a sunset-drenched sky, the G-Man himself slowly vaporizing into it.

_“So, wake up, Miss Clementine. Wake up and...smell the ashes…”_

 

Once the G-Man finally disappeared, Clementine would quickly sit up from the ground, gasping for air. Coughing and attempting to regain her breath, she stands herself up and begins to take in her surroundings, trying to figure out where this G-Man had thrown her.

In front of her would be a small creek leading from a large, seemingly abandoned dam. Behind her the creek would lead on towards a small valley and into another dam bordering an old power station of sorts.  Seeing as how she had no other option but to follow the creek, the girl begins her trek down towards the power station, looking around cautiously as she did so.

 _“...What...? Where am I…? Is...is this still Savannah?”_ Clementine thought to herself as she continued onward downstream.

As she kept on walking, the shoreline would gradually sink into the creek leading towards the second dam, and she hesitates for a moment. She studies the dam a little more and notices a ladder leading into the water from one of the docks, but the dam itself blocks the way downstream, leaving the ladder as the only way of getting around this dam. Of course, this obviously means she would have to swim...and she never really did like that idea all too much. The flowing water running from the end of the damn into the lock across from the power station gave her a feeling of unease; A fear of being dragged underwater by thr current itself, only to drown moments later. At any rate, she readies herself for the initial shock of the cold water, and quickly walks into the creek.

By the time the water was at waist-height, Clementine would begin to swim her way over towards the ladder using the techniques she learned when she first learned how to actually swim. Though she struggles a bit to keep her head above the water, Clementine would eventually make it to the ladder, climbing up onto the dock in an exhausted manner. Completely drenched, she makes her way around the abandoned turbine housing whereas she would come across a lone tunnel, the doors left open. She hesitates further, taking a note from her experiences that not everything looks as it seems. Cautiously, she would approach the doorway and enters what seems to be an antechamber of sorts.

Before Clementine had a chance to investigate her surroundings, the doors quickly close behind her, both surprising and shocking the girl in the process. She quickly runs up to the doors and bangs on them with her fists.

“Hey! O-Open the doors! Please!” Clementine yells. The only response she would get in return would be two cameras activating above what seemed to be a window, with a shutter blocking the view inside. At the same time a woman’s voice was heard over an unseen intercom.

“We got something in here...looks human…Hello? Hello can you hear me?” Clementine quickly walks back into the center of the antechamber, looking up at the cameras focused on her.

“Hello?! Please, I'm not here to do anything bad! I was just passing through here! Please, let me go!”

“Calm down, you’re not in any trouble.” The voice responds. The shutters blocking the view from inside would lift up to reveal a man in a blue jumpsuit and a woman wearing a white sweatshirt and beige pants, her chestnut colored hair tied in a neat bun. At first she seemed rather surprised by what she was actually looking at.

“...Oh my...a Child? My, this is...wow, I’d never expect to see this....”

“...What?” Clementine asks, now more confused than ever. “...Why do you say that?”

“Hm? Oh, well, I mean...you’re a child! Which...now that I think about it, it does bring up some questions.”

“Please, miss.” Clementine pleads. “I don’t want to cause any trouble. Can you please let me out?”

“Not yet.” The woman responds. “We still need to get through the scanning process.”

“Scanning...process…?” Clementine asks, a slight hint of anxiety permeating her confused and curious tone of voice

“To see if you’re human or not, dear.” Soon, four sets of red lasers activate, followed by a decontamination system activating, causing Clementine to cough a bit.

“Sorry about this, it's a mandatory process for anyone coming into Black Mesa East. Also, please keep still so we can make the process go smoothly.”

Reluctantly, Clementine complies and waits for the scan to complete. She watches as a red laser slowly lowers itself down to the ground, expecting it to brush by her as if it was a curtain. Of course, she wouldn't feel anything, but nevertheless she continues to wait anxiously as decontaminants were sprayed into the room and the devices scanned her.

Once it was all over, she could hear the two of them mutter to each other about the results, faintly making out something about a ‘suppression field’, ‘reproduction’, and various technobabble she never heard of. After a small, uncomfortable silence passed, the woman turns back towards Clementine.

“Alright, you’re cleared to enter. Let me get the door for you.” And with that, the doors leading into the inner depths of the dam open. Almost immediately Clementine runs out of the antechamber, nearly running into the woman as well.

“Woah, easy there! My what energy you have!” Clementine backs away from her a bit, mostly out of embarrassment for nearly running into her in the first place, but nevertheless the woman would continue.

“...Anyways, I don’t believe we’ve properly introduced ourselves. I’m Judith Mossman, one of the lead researchers here at Black Mesa East...and you are?”

“...My...My name is...Clementine.” Clementine says in a hesitant manner, and Mossman lets out a soft chuckle.

“My my, what a nice name you have there, Clementine.”

“Thank you...” Clementine responds slightly, smiling just a bit to show her appreciation. Soon enough Mossman motions her towards the elevator.

“Here, let's go on and take you down to Eli. He’ll be quite surprised to see someone like you around here.”

“Okay…”

Clementine was led over to the elevator, with the help of Doctor Mossman, looking around for a few moments to absorb her surroundings. Eventually Mossman would begin to describe where everything was within Black Mesa East, from the kitchen to various work areas, to the sleeping quarters that Clementine will stay in. Eventually the two would reach the lower floors, whereas they would see a one-legged man typing away on a complicated piece of machinery.

“Eli! I want you to meet someone here, she just arrived from the railroad.” The man turns towards Mossman and Clementine, at first smiling at Mossman...then he would be shocked by Clementine’s presence.

“Hold on here...is that what I think it is?” Asked a bewildered Eli.

“Yes, I know! This could be the chance of a lifetime! Someone somewhere out there had found a way to reverse the Suppression Field’s effects! There could be communities out there bustling with human life!” As Mossman spoke on about the possibility of reversing this ‘Suppression Field’, Clementine remained confused as ever, having no clear idea what Mossman was talking about. She would return to her senses when Eli calls on the little girl, bringing her attention back towards the two adults.

“Young lady, can I get your name please?”

“Huh? Oh...it's...um…” Before Clementine could finish, Mossman responds with “Her name is Clementine. A bit shy, but I’m sure that won’t be an issue.”

“Aaaah, Clementine...what a nice little name for a girl like you. Fitting if you ask me!” Says Eli, with a warm smile accompanying his calm, gruff tone of voice.

“You know, you remind me of my own daughter when she was your age...which, if you don't mind me asking...where are your parents, sweetheart?”

Clementine pauses for a brief second, the memories of her parents coming back to her at the mention of them, and she looks down in a mournful manner. Eli, taking a cue from her expression, quickly changes the subject before the situation became depressing.

“Eeeeh...Instead, actually, why don’t we go on and get you introduced to Alyx? I’m sure the two of ya will get along fine.” Just as he was about to go towards the computer linked up to a large server of sorts, another woman wearing a leather jacket and worn jeans enters the room.

“Say, dad, you know what’s going on? The vortigaunts are talking about the n-” She pauses when she notices Clementine standing in the room, who steps back a bit out of shyness.

“Oh...well...guess they were right all along...” Eli turns to the young woman and nods.

“Ah, Alyx, you got perfect timing hon. I was actually about to call you down here. Why don’t you go show our new guest Clementine around, to get her mind off of some things?” Taking his que, Alyx nods and looks over towards Clementine for a moment, then back to Eli.

"Wait, you're not gonna explain how someone like her is here?" Alyx asks inquisitively.

"All in good time, hon. All in good time." Eli responds. Though she looked disappointed with his answer, she simply shrugs it off with another question.

“What about Gordon? Have you heard anything from him yet?”

“So far he should be here soon, got comms from the canal sect that he just passed through.”

“Thank god…” Alyx breathes a silent sigh of relief, turning her attention to the newfound guest of Black Mesa East.

“Well, Clementine, is it? Why don’t you come with me, I’ll show ya around a bit.”

“Okay…” Clementine says, yet again a small hint of anxiety coming off of her voice. Alyx would pick up on that subtle tone and responds with a light smiler, similar to the one Eli gave her prior.

“Don’t worry, I won’t bite. Trust me.” Before Clementine could respond again Mossman would interject rather quickly.

“Now don’t go and do anything reckless, Alyx. This girl here is something of a rare occurrence. Treat her well!" Alyx simply ignores her and leads Clementine out of the teleportation lab, closing the doors behind her.

“I see you’ve gotten yourself acquainted with Doctor Mossman.”

“Yeah…” Clementine says shyly. “...She’s kind of...rude…”

“Oh, don’t get me started on that.” Alyx remarks. Her thoughts then turn to other matters as she studied Clementine a little more, noting the lack of weaponry or even a standard Citizen jumpsuit. Hesitantly, she would ask Clementine a question in the same manner her own father did, just moments ago.

"So...how did someone like you make it to Black Mesa East?"

"I...uh..." Clementine hesitates for a moment. "I...I don't know...I woke up outside not too long ago...and...I swam to a ladder...then I found that door way and...well...here I am." Alyx, concerned over what Clementine relayed to her, then stops for a moment.

"Are you saying you came here all on your own?"

"Yeah...Ju-...I-I don't know how I got here...all this stuff going on...all these strange people..." She looks down a bit, trying to wrap her head around what went down so far. She does this for only a small amount of time, as Alyx puts a hand on the child's shoulder.

"Hey, it's alright. I get this is all quite a shock for you...it'll be all good, alright? Black Mesa East is like...well, one big happy family. Kinda." Comforted by Alyx's words, Clementine looks up at the woman and smiles a bit, her small moment of confusion and fearful attitude now replaced with a more relaxed sense of comfort. As the two began their trek down the tunnel, Clementine looks over towards a blocked-off section onto her right.

"Where does that lead to?" Clementine asked curiously, and almost immediately Alyx answers along the lines of "A bad place."

"Why is it bad?" Clementine asked again, her child-like curiosity getting the best of her.

"Because a while back...something happened there, in Ravenholm. Something that we had to keep out."

"Like the monsters...Like...the walkers?" Clementine murmured. Alyx, having only the faintest idea what Clementine was talking about, would only nod.

"Yeah. Like a lot of monsters..."

 

Soon the two enter the scrapyard, where Alyx would respond with “Well, this is the scrapyard.”

“Oh...isn’t this where people throw junk away?” Clementine asked, and Alyx just laughs a little bit.

“No, not quite...well, kinda. You are hitting the mark there slightly, but this isn't where we just go to throw away old scrap.” Afterwards Alyx would walk over towards a nearby garbage bin, climbing up onto it with relative ease. She turns around and motions Clementine to grab her hand, to which the girl does so obediently. Once the two had climbed over the pile of junk that acted as a sort of makeshift wall, Clementine would take note of the sign that read “BEWARE OF DOG!”

“Oh don’t worry about that. Here, lemme actually introduce you to Dog. He loves meeting new people.” Alyx would respond. She then turns towards a large doghouse of sorts.

“Dog! Come here boy! Come Dog!” Soon enough a large robotic entity comes barreling out of the ‘dog house’ and comes clambering on towards the two. Clementine yelps a bit and hides behind Alyx as Dog approaches the two.

“Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you.” Alyx responds in a semi-soothing manner. “My dad built him to protect me when I was a kid, so he’s very kid friendly, you see.” She would prove so when she rubs Dog’s face, saying “Isn’t that right Dog?”

“...Y-You had him...as a kid?” Clementine asks nervously.

“Yeah! I swear, he’s just a big ol’ loveable machine. Come on, give him a pet.” Alyx then walks over to Clementine, placing a hand on her back as the two walked up to Dog.

“Dog, come say hi to Clementine!”

Dog would respond with a series of robotic noises, looking to be rather excited at the mentioning of a new guest. As Clementine approaches Dog, the large robot would study her a bit before Alyx says “Go on, don’t be shy.”

Slowly, Clementine reaches her hand out towards Dog’s head, petting one of his three face plates, slowly gaining more and more confidence as Dog reacted positively from such an interaction.

“See? I told you he’s a big love bug.” Alyx states lightly, causing Clementine to smile happily. Then, Alyx would walk over to a container weighed down by a large boulder.

“Dog! Where’s your ball at?!” Almost as if by command, Dog quickly runs over to the container and lifts the boulder off. Suddenly it begins to move on its own, and with a heave Alyx lifts it up to reveal a metallic sphere that rolls over towards Clementine. Startled, she would back away from the approaching object when Alyx reassures her.

“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt you like the other rollermines. Dog just loves playing with that ball, so go on and give it a throw!” Reinforced with a bit of confidence, Clementine would pick up the harmless rollermine once it rolled up to her, and gives it a good toss. It didn’t go far, but nonetheless it would cause Dog to quickly pick it up, with Alyx laughing a bit in the process.

“Now Dog, don’t throw it too hard alright? We don’t want to get her hurt now do we?” Dog responds again with another set of robotic noises, and Alyx diverts her attention over to Clementine.

“I have to go back on patrol for a bit. Why don’t you play catch with Dog for a while?”

“Oh...okay!” Clementine says happily. Soon enough, the two would begin to pass the rollermine back and forth to each other, with Dog acting excited as ever whenever Clementine passed it over to him. Alyx in turn would smile at the scene playing out, before she lets the two have their fun.

  _For what it was worth, she found herself enjoying this moment of peace, rolling the rollermine as hard as she could, watching Dog charge towards it, making sure he doesn't accidentally hit her with the strange device, and repeating the process all over again..._

 

As the sun began to set in the scrapyard, for once since the day that civilization went to hell back in Macron, Clementine actually felt...safe. Very safe in fact, due in part to the friends she’s already made (or thought she made) in her time spent at Black Mesa East. She would spend a majority of that time exploring the scrap yard with Dog, climbing up on various ledges just to see what she could find and digging through piles of junk in search of odds and ends. Indeed the only thing she would find of interest would be an orange plate of metal with the letters “H.E.V” on it, but that would be about it.

Once the day finally turned into night, she would find herself sitting on the ledge nearest to the entrance, thinking back to the instructions Lee had given her before passing on, and she felt content knowing that she had seemingly found a group to stay with, despite the circumstances she found herself in. She also begins to think on the question of where she exactly was, what with the large robots, the abandoned-looking buildings, the mention of ‘Vortigaunts’ that Alyx talked about, the blocked tunnel she saw earlier...all of these questions and thoughts would swirl around in her head until she hears the doors open up again.

Being that she had nothing better to do, she would look down at the entrance to see Alyx returning with a man in an orange suit of sorts. Curiously, she climbs down from the ledge she was sitting on, causing Alyx and the Man to take notice.

    “Ah, hey there Clem!” Says Alyx. She then turns to the Man next to her.

“Gordon, this is the girl I was talking about back near the tunnel. Her name is Clementine.” The man, presumably known as Gordon Freeman, looks over towards the small girl and gives her a silent wave. Alyx then turns back to Clementine and says “Clementine, this is Doctor Freeman, a good friend of mine.”

    “Oh...well...it's nice to meet you, Doctor Freeman.” Clementine says shyly, her tone of voice giving off the impression that she's still getting used to everyone so far. Her tone would soon change from slight anxiety and shyness to a child-like curiosity when she asks “So, what are you doing?”

    “Well, I was just about to show Gordon the Gravity Gun. Want to join us?” asked Alyx.

    “Sure!” Clementine says excitedly. In all honesty, she never had any idea what Alyx was talking about, but it was better than doing nothing.

Soon, Alyx turns to a small panel nearest to the door they came in from and enters a code on a small keyboard. After she did so, the panel opens up to reveal the Gravity Gun, a large orange contraption similar in complexity (and color scheme) to Gordon’s own suit.

    “So, this is the Gravity Gun.” Alyx says as she grabbed it out from the wall slot. “We mostly use it for heavy lifting among other things. You can call it the ‘Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator’ if you really want to.” She then holds the Gravity Gun out towards Gordon. “Why don't you give it a try?” With a silent nod, Gordon takes the heavy piece of machinery in hand and studies it for a moment as Alyx explains how it works.

    “The first trigger sends put a pulse of energy that can send stuff flying. The second trigger, on the other hand, attracts objects towards you. I find that best used when clearing minefields.” Gordon nods and does exactly what one would do when handed an experimental gravity-manipulating weapon; He tests it on a nearby crate, pulling it towards him before it was caught in the gravity gun’s artificial gravity well. Afterwards he aims it up in the air and presses the primary trigger, sending it flying towards the nearby cliffside, where it breaks apart into splinters of wood.

Amazed by this technological feat, Clementine applauds Gordon before saying “Can I try it?! Please!?”

Alyx simple chuckles, but she shakes her head in response to Clementine’s pleas.

    “Aw...why not?”

    “Because this isn’t a toy, Clementine, it can and will hurt someone if you use it incorrectly. Not to mention it’s very heavy, especially for someone your age.”

    “I’m smart enough to use it…and strong enough to hold it...” mutters Clementine, obviously disappointed that she couldn’t use the Gravity Gun herself.

Eventually, after getting aquainted with its functions, the three venture into the scrapyard in order to test out the Gravity Gun on other items. As time went on, Gordon would eventually be introduced to and dog, playing catch with the mechanical love-bug, making a goal in the basketball hoop, and performing other such activities that would convince little Clementine more and more that, perhaps, she made the right choice in coming with the G-Man.

All of that would come crashing down when Dog starts acting strange, pounding his fists in the ground and releasing cautionary bleeps. Alyx and Gordon seem to notice this right away, while it takes Clementine a bit to snap out of her daze.

    “Dog? What is it, what’s wrong?” Asked Alyx, caution seeping into her voice.

That's when they came - hundreds of metal objects fly through the air as the sound of a distant helicopter engine breaks the once-peaceful silence.

    “Oh no...Scanners!” Alyx yells. “We need to get inside, now!”

Clementine had no idea what was going on, indeed this all came out of left field for her as soon as these 'things made their appearance. So when the scrapyard was pounded by large metallic canisters, she instinctively covers her head and let's out a panicked, shrill scream. In a matter of mere seconds she would be grabbed by Alyx as Gordon and the others ran towards the entrance to the scrapyard’s antechamber, ducking down as a Hunter-Chopper made its appearance known. Once the four of them make it to the antechamber, Alyx switches on a nearby minitor, the screen showing her father leaning in close to the Camera.

    "Dad!? What’s going on?!"

    "Alyx!" Eli yells through the intercomm. "Wherr are you?!"

    "We're stuck in a full auto-cycle!"

    "Is Gordon with you?! What about the girl, Clementine?!" Eli yells out, looking behind him for a moment.

    "They're both with me!" Alyx would respond, looking worried as ever.

    "Good! I want you to take them out towards the Coast! Do not go through Rav-"

Before he could finish his own statement, the power inside goes out, causing Clementine to let out a small yelp out of shock. Eventually Alyx would command Dog to bust open the door any way he could, which would result in the lower left edge of it being bent wide open to allow Alyx and Clementine to crawl through first, before Gordon and Dog followed in suit. Before the four could enter the main area of Black Mesa East, a large amount of debris would crash down into the hallway, separating Alyx from the other three.

    “Alyx!” Clementine yells, quickly running over to the pile of rubble. Her thoughts were quickly falling over one another as she was looking through what openings there were, hoping that she wasn’t crushed by the fallen cement.

    “I’m alright, don’t worry!” Yells Alyx from the other side. The woman proceeds to climb up to an opening in the rubble, in order to talk to Gordon and the others. “Gordon, you need to take her and get out of here! I can’t leave my dad! Dog!” She looks over to the mechanical giant of a robot behind the two. “Take Gordon and Clementine to the Ravenholm tunnel, and get them out of here!”

    “B-but what about you?!” Clementine yells once more.

    “I’ll be fine, Clem, don’t worry about me! Just stick close to Gordon, and do whatever he asks, you understand!?”

    “O-Okay!” yells Clementine.

“Good! Now get going!” And with that, Alyx would proceed to run off into the fray taking place within a hallway as two strange aliens began firing green bolts of green electricity, more rubble falling into what little space there was within the entrance. Though she hesitates to follow at first Clementine eventually finds herself sticking as close as she could to Gordon Freeman as he followed Dog to the Ravenholm Tunnel.

As soon as he was close enough, Dog quickly grabs a hold of the blast door that blocked the way to Ravenholm and, using what mechanical strength he had, lifts it high enough to allow Gordon and Clementine to quickly move into the tunnel. Once the two had gotten through, Dog closes the door behind them and watches as they ran off, his gaze meeting Clementine’s as she looked back just once. Then, the mechanical being clambers off towards the fighting, in the hopes of reuniting with Alyx and Eli Vance.


	3. Chapter 2: Ravenholm Remorse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Clementine and Gordon having just escaped the ambush on Black Mesa East, the two now make their way up to the lost town of Ravenholm...and find out why exactly no one goes there anymore.

( _Cover art made by Yours Truly.)_

 

Clementine and Gordon would slow down once they come across a ladder, locked by a sort of fencing surrounding the base and up. With one hardy swipe of his crowbar, Gordon would smash the lock in pieces, but before he could even climb up the narrow shaft leading into Ravenholm, the corpse of a headcrab smashes into the wooden boards just under the ladder, causing the little girl to let out a small shriek. She stumbles backwards and falls back out of shock, only realizing soon after that the creature was long dead, but she couldn’t keep her eyes off of the unknown, almost alien-looking creature. She would soon snap back into action when Gordon helps her back up onto her feet.

“Thank you…” Clementine whispers, dusting her dirty dress off. Gordon nods silently and the two proceed to climb up the ladder.

 

Things take a dreary turn for the worse once the two make it to the surface. Death and decay marked the entryway at first sight, with a pair of severed legs hanging on a nearby tree, to serve as a warning to others perhaps. Beyond that, there would be an eerie, quite unsettling silence that blanketed the whole town. Clementine would immediately think back to the first time she first entered Savannah with Lee and the others: how desolate and quiet it was, save for the few walkers that had ambushed them prior. Even Gordon himself looked quite on edge as he readied the gravity gun close to him. With a cautious once-over, Gordon motions Clementine to stay close and the two make their way down towards this abandoned saw-mill.

 

The inside looked just as bad as it did on the outside. Perhaps worse due to the stench that irradiated from the doorway, and the copious amounts of blood that stained the walls and floors within. It was obvious that the girl next to Gordon had seen worse, but it wasn’t the sights that really spooked Clementine. Rather, it would be what were on the corpses that were strewn out across the room: The very same creatures she saw in the bunker shaft. They were attached to the heads of the corpses, covering them whole from neck to crown, and it brought on a new sort of terror that she felt only once; a terror not felt since the first days of the apocalypse. She would mainly focus on their chest cavities, which had exploded open to reveal their lungs. Stomach, and other various organs, causing the girl to clutch her own stomach in response to such a sight.

“...What are those things, on their heads?” Clementine whispered. Gordon’s only response was silence, instead using the Gravity Gun to dislodge the boards that blocked the way into the saw-mill. He would fire it into the furthest wall across from the two, watching it as it shattered and splintered into a messy pile of wood. As he entered the building, he would be surprised by one of the corpses lunging upwards at him. Quickly, Gordon would back away as it swiped at him, knocking the Gravity Gun out of his hands. With that in mind he would pull out his secondary weapon - a USP Match, before he is pinned to the wall by the zombie, knocking his gun out towards Clementine. Meanwhile Clementine watched in horror as the zombie attempted to send swipe after swipe into Gordon, kept at bay by arm’s length. As the scientist began to falter, Clementine quickly takes a hold of the USP and aims down the sights, her arms shaking. She then takes the shot, a direct hit on the creature attached to the corpse, which sends it off to the right of Gordon. In an instant the scientist pulls out a worn crowbar and sends it down into the head of the zombie, which finally causes it to crumple to the ground, the creature atop its head detaching from the base of the zombie’s neck to reveal a pained face, with its jaw open in a screaming position. Clementine slowly lowers the pistol and breathes heavily, while Gordon looks over to her. The two stay silent for a moment, before Clementine finally begins to speak up.

“I-I Thought I could help...It had you up against the wall…” Once again Gordon remained silent as always, but he gives her a small smile as a sign of approval. Soon enough he motions to the gun that Clementine was holding. Taking this as a question of how she learned to fire the gun, she replies with “...Oh, uh...I uh...I was taught how to shoot by a friend...a man, named Lee.” Gordon arches an eyebrow, mainly out of curiosity more than concern, but his silent question would be replaced by one from Clementine herself.

“Uh...Mister Gordon...or, uh...Doctor Freeman...can you speak? I never heard you talk to Alyx all that time...and even then…” Gordon hesitates for a split second, of course people commented on the fact that he was rather silent, but not to this degree. Eventually he just gives her a shake of the head, confirming Clementine’s suspicions.

“Oh...well, that’s alright!” The young girl says with a hopeful smile. “I can help, if you want me to! With speaking, I mean.”

With another warm smile, Gordon nods in approval, and motions again to the USP, arching an eyebrow as if to ask if she can handle using the gun. With that, she gives Gordon a firm nod.

“Of course I can use it! Lee didn't skim over everything!” Clementine would say with a mixture of pride and a dash of sadness, to which Gordon nods solemnly in response. Suddenly, two more of these zombies spring to life around the two, to which Clementine screams “Look out!” In a quick motion, he pulls out a small MP7 and proceeds to unload into the undead menace, while Clementine stood close to Gordon himself, firing at any zombie that got too close to them. With these three zombies dead, the two eventually make their way out of the sawmill, noting a homemade trap that ran on a motorized engine. Before the two could even act upon this trap, the two hear a distant voice yelling throughout the darkness.

_“For it was said they had become like these peculiar demons which dwell in matter, but in whom no Light may be found!”_

As if by mere coincidence, two more zombies come stumbling out from around the corner, just behind this motorized spinning death trap of sorts. Within a moment’s notice Clementine quickly raises her pistol, but it would soon be lowered by Gordon when he motions towards the shambling undead and the trap in front of them. The zombies unwittingly wander into the whirring blade, and their torsos would be severed from their lower waists, with whatever was left of them being eviscerated by the crude metal blade attached to the motor itself. Clementine cringes a bit at the sight of the gore that had been strewn across the whole area with chunks of flesh being what was left of these zombies, save for the lower waistline that was left intact. Soon, Gordon motions her to stay back as he got onto his belly and crawls towards the motorized trap.

“Be careful!” shouts Clementine, who watches him from the Sawmill. Slowly he would reach for a lever situated on the engine that powers the trap itself and, once pulled, shuts it off completely. Once the makeshift blade stops spinning, he looks back at Clementine and motions her to follow closely, to which she obliges. Once the two enter the second building, they once again hear the voice yelling throughout.

“ _For the days of my life have vanished like smoke, and my bones parched like ash, and let all of my impurities be fuel for that fire until nothing remains but the Light!”_

Clementine began to look more and more on edge with each ‘sermon’ she began to hear. Though Gordon would pick up on this, there wasn't much he could do except for a reassuring glance in her direction. Even After they got back into another alleyway, they would hear this voice for a third time.

_“May they become like dust before the wind; may the angel of the Lord pursue them!”_

 

After dodging, shooting, and bashing a fair amount of Zombies the two would come across a warehouse, with the front entrance burning brightly for all to see. Several burnt corpses littered the alleyway in front of them and the area leading up to the warehouse, followed by two zombies shambling into view. As Gordon readied his SMG, a bald-headed man kicks open the window above the blazing inferno, laughing like a mad man as he gunned down the zombies in front of the two with deadly accuracy. Once they fell, the man - now clearly seen to be a priest - studies both Gordon and Clementine for a bit.

“Aaaah what is this?! Another few lives to save? I will keep an eye on you two, anything more I cannot promise!” And with that, he leaves as quickly as he appeared. Clementine and Gordon look at each other for only a moment, with Clementine looking slightly more nervous than before. Gordon could only give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder in order to communicate that it would be alright, and with that in mind the two continue their trek through the decrepit alleyways that surrounded the warehouse. After having turned off the gas tank that fueled the flames of the main entrance, the two of them quickly make their way in, with Gordon gunning down zombie after zombie while Clementine stayed back, supporting him with the USP she was given. Eventually, after a few agonizing minutes of a constant barrage of these zombies, the two eventually make it to the top floor, whereas Gordon dispatches a few more of these tan crab-like creatures. As things calmed down, Clementine would gain the courage to speak up about these little parasites.

“...Uh...Doctor Freeman? What are those things...those...those scary-looking monsters, like the one you just shot…?” Gordon looks back at Clementine and...he ponders on the question for a moment, trying to figure out a way to explain them to her. After a minute or so he points to his head, then clasps his hands together like that of a crab. Seeing these rather amusing motions, Clementine would begin to put two-and-two together.

“So...they’re...Head-Crabs?” Clementine asked.

Gordon nods once.

“...And they turn you into a monster...if they get on your head, right?”

Gordon nods a second time.

“Oh...well...I’m not scared of them!” Clementine announces proudly. “They don’t seem that bad, if you can get them that easily!” With a new air of confidence backing her up, she quickly runs up the stairs to stand next to Gordon, who just chuckles silently at the girl’s enthusiasm.

They would soon enter the upper portion of the warehouse, cautiously looking around corners as they entered room after room. Then, they hear the most unsettling sound yet: something that sounded awfully similar to a rattlesnake, hissing and spitting within the other room. It caught the both of them off-guard, with Clementine recoiling in fear, aiming her gun down towards the doorway. After a full minute of unsettling silence, Gordon would slowly approach the doorway leading to what seemed to be a power switch connected to an electrified fence, looking around carefully as he did so. Suddenly, with a loud, high-pitch squeal, a Black Headcrab would fling itself towards the physician. He would quickly pull himself away from the doorframe, barely missing the sub-species of headcrab and falling to the ground in the process. In a fit of panic he blindly fires his SMG at the Black Headcrab, which lets out a high-pitch squeak before running past him and Clementine, to which she screams as it ran dangerously close to her. In a fit of panic of her own, she quickly fires her USP in the direction of the headcrab, horribly missing and agitating it at the same time. In an attempt to preserve its own life it quickly scuttles around the corner, letting out an aggressive hiss at the girl that just shot at it. Meanwhile, Clementine quickly stands herself up and backs away from the doorway as Gordon recovers from the initial surprise. Before he can even do anything, though, a second Black Headcrab lets out another shriek as it leaps over towards him. It sinks its fangs into Gordon’s HEV suit, primarily on his neck, which causes him to let out a silent, pained yell.

“Gordon!” Clementine yells as he throws the crab off of him and into the wall, his HEV suit letting out two beeps, followed by a cold, robotic warning.

< _Warning! Blood Toxin levels detected! Minor lacerations detected! Automatic Medical Systems engaged! >_

With a small hiss, the HEV releases another statement; “Antidote Administered. Morphine Administered.” Releasing another small, silent groan, Gordon quickly stands himself up, taking his crowbar in hand. All the while the second black headcrab lets out another screech as it prepared to leap at the good doctor,  it it would be interrupted by stray gunfire coming from Clementine’s USP. She would unload her entire clip into it, barely making much of a difference due to its high endurance, but it distracted the poisonous parasite long enough for Gordon to land a harsh blow on its center body with the crowbar. It lets out a pained screech before he lands another blow on it, ending it's life quickly. Once it released its final hiss, Clementine quickly runs up to Gordon, who stuffs the crowbar back into the HEV’s storage compartment and replaces it with a .354 Magnum

“I got it! I-...uh...are you alright, Doctor Freeman?” peeped Clementine, having noted the HEV’s automated messages from earlier. Despite having been recently injected with Morphine and a neurotoxin antidote, Gordon gives her a firm thumbs up. Before she could respond with a quirky statement, the previous Black Headcrab that had scuttled away earlier slowly crawls towards the two, letting out its telltale screech as it. Before Clementine could even turn around and scream, and even before the headcrab could launch itself at the now-vulnerable girl, Gordon would fire an accurate shot from his magnum into its main body, instantly killing the parasite. Startled by the surprise of both the headcrab and Gordon’s quick reflexes, she let's out a yelp and jumps away from the freshly-killed black headcrab, quite shaken by the fact that she could have been killed right then and there.

“I...I…” She stutters a bit, holding her stomach.

“...I-I…” She then looks back at Gordon.

“...Thank you.” Noting her stuttered sentences and shaken behaviour, Gordon kneels down next to her, pointing to both of his eyes before he waves his hand around the entirety of the room, as if to tell her to ‘keep an eye on all of your surroundings.’ He then points to the Black Headcrab, motioning how they have more endurance than a regular headcrab, and how it takes more than a few bullets from a USP to take it down. With this newfound knowledge, Clementine nods and recites what Gordon silently said out loud.

“...Keep an eye out at all times...Dark Headcrabs are tougher and smarter...alright…I...alright...” Gordon gives Clementine a reaffirming pat on the shoulder, as to complement her for what she just learned. This would in turn comfort Clementine a little bit, despite the near-death experience.

 

Once Gordon shut off the power to the electric fence, the two made their way down to the entrance again, where they would be ambushed by two more Black Headcrabs. The two would quickly dispose of these parasitic advisories, and Gordon would give Clementine another thumbs up in encouragement, emboldening the young girl with his recent advice. Afterwards the two would make their way over to the deactivated fence, climbing up and over it before proceeding to climb up onto a small ledge leading to another roof, separated only by a large gap. Gordon would ready himself to jump, but he would be immediately stopped by Clementine.

“W-wait! Are we going to jump this?! I-I don't think I can make it, Gordon…” Gordon would take this into account; he knew that despite his HEV suit’s enhanced sprint function, he wasn't quite sure a little girl like Clementine could make the jump across...so he comes up with a simple idea, and picks Clementine up. He sets her on his shoulders - a small feat made easier thanks to the HEV suit - and motions her to hold on tightly.

“Are...are you sure this will work?” Clementine asked anxiously, trying her best not to look down. All she gets as an answer would be a confident nod from Gordon. Taking his advice, she holds on tightly as he readies himself for the jump. With a quick motion he sends himself flying over the gap, causing Clementine to hold on as tightly as possible. Once the two land, she would breath a small sigh of relief and climbs down from her piggyback-position

“That...that was amazing! Can we do that again sometime!?” Gordon smiles a bit and gives her a small nod. Before the two continued, they would be greeted by the laugh of the estranged priest once again, making his appearance known to them from the roof of another building.

“Well done, brother and daughter! Make free use of my traps, but take care not to fall in them yourselves!” Before the two of them could respond, the priest yells “Behind you!” and fires at the roof behind them. Soon afterwards the corpse of a slimmer, leaner headcrab falls from the roof behind them, and the priest lowers his rifle.

“In Ravenholm, you do well...to be vigilant.” He remarks. He then would walk out of sight from the two while Clementine thinks on the last part he said, looking back to the poison headcrab situation within the warehouse just moments prior.

“ _You do well to be vigilant_...is that what you meant by that, Doctor Freeman?” she quietly asked, and Gordon nods yes in response. Afterwards the two climb down onto a rickety boardwalk leading into yet another abandoned building, battling through the various zombies that inhabited it and the area outside. Once the two had gotten to relative safety on another set of boardwalks, the priest makes his appearance yet again.

“Better and better!” He yells from across another roof. “I am Father Grigori! You have already met - heheh - my ‘congregation’!” He then turns away from the two, laughing as if it was the end of the world, and he didn't have a care to give.

Slowly, the two make their way through the building nearest to them, once again finding Father Grigori in a nearby apartment, killing off any zombie that came into view. This also includes one that wanders in front of the window, the headcrab attached to it being blown apart as the two entered the room, causing Clementine to flinch a little bit.

“Ah! It is you, Brother and Daughter! I apologize! But no harm done. My bullets are the least of your concerns.” With that in mind the two quickly make their way out of where they were and proceed down towards the road below them.

 

After battling through a variety of zombies, including the dreaded Poison Zombie and their encounters with the Fast Zombie, and obtaining the SPAS-12 shotgun from a generous Grigori, the two find themselves within an open area, completely empty save for the lone trap that stood in the middle of it all and the machinery that led to the roof of another building. Once they make their way to the first building they would hear the wail of another zombie close-by, bringing the attention of a small horde to this central area. Quickly, Gordon would take Clementine to a nearby warehouse containing the controls to a crane of sorts. He directs her to activate the controls while he clears out a oath for the both of them, to which Clementine responds:

“Wait! B-But what if they find me?!” In an instant Gordon hands her his .357 magnum and a spare few clips, giving her crude instructions as to how to use it, before he runs off back towards the center of the area. He draws the majority of headcrab zombies to him by making as much noise as possible. This included firing his shotgun and mp7 at them, throwing grenades and the likes, even ripping off the blade of the motorized trap with his gravity gun just to fire at them. Clementine was, for better or worse, left in awe as she watched a literal one-man army take on the hordes of the undead, only shaking out of her trance once he reached the roof of a nearby building. She activates the crane’s controls and sends it into an optimal position as Gordon cleared the ledges of the roof he was on, making steady progress to the roof closest to this crane. Her attention would then be drawn to the now-approaching headcrab zombies that had noticed her. Fumbling with the magnum Gordon gave her, she would take aim at the small group that was approaching.

 

Meanwhile, Gordon would clear the last of the Headcrabs and Headcrab Zombies from the roof, when he hears several gunshots coming from the warehouse. Quick as an orange bolt of lightning, he slides down the roof, lands onto the ground (which, due to the height, he would immediately regret) and proceeds to sprint his way over to the warehouse, blasting zombie after zombie with his shotgun. As he reaches the stairs leading to the control room he sees Clementine zipping past a few Headcrab Zombies, nearly reaching Gordon when one catches her off-guard. It grabs her and forces her down with it, screaming and yelling in the process.

“Gordon! H-Help!” Screams Clementine, kicking the Headcrab latched onto the corpse with little to no success. Eventually she tried aiming the magnum at the Zombie and pulls the trigger - only to find out that her ammo was completely spent. Before the zombie managed to get even a single swipe on her, Gordon would fire his shotgun into the headcrab controlling it, instantly killing it and the host it controlled. She would be helped up soon after before being pulled towards the roof that led to the crane platform, with Gordon carrying her most of the way as he jumped from roof to platform to a wooden sniper’s nest with a chair, before they finally make it to the building that leads to the other side of town. Once they had made it to relative safety, they would once again find Father Grigori waiting for them on another roof.

“How came you here, Brother and Daughter? This is the wrong side of town for you! Did I not tell you to seek the church?! Mend your ways before it is too late!” He then proceeds to fire several rounds at the fast zombies that had followed them from the industrial section of town, and with that in mind the two quickly make it over to the other side.

 

Once Gordon and Clementine had made it back to the other side of town, they proceed to quickly enter a building with a roof access. Gordon, making sure that little Clementine had enough ammo for her USP, would climb up first before he allows her to follow. On the roof was a cart strung across the roadway leading up to the church, powered by what seemed to be a motorized pulley system. Before Gordon or Clementine could decide on what to do, Father Grigori would appear before them on the other side of the roadway.

“Ah! There you are! At last! I will send the cart to you both, it will be but a moment!” With that said, Grigori would quickly climb down to the motor that powered the cart itself and switches it on. Unfortunately, the noise generated from the motor would attract some unwanted attention; a large horde of Fast Zombies would make their approach to the building.

“Guard yourselves well!” Grigori would yell from across the church, readying his rifle in case they broke into his perimeter.

On the other side, Gordon would direct Clementine to stay behind him as he readied his shotgun, the tension building more and more as Fast Zombie after Fast Zombie began to make their ascent up the pipes and onto the roof. Clementine’s heart pounded out of her chest as she saw the pipes shake left to right in response to the weight placed onto them by the bony abominations. Quickly and without hesitation they would strike; Two Fast Zombies would finally make it up onto the roof and charge the two...followed by another...then two more. Gordon would try his best to keep them all at bay, what with his impressive arsenal of weaponry (Which, at the time, only consisted of an MP7, a spare USP, the SPAS-12, the .357 Colt, and his trusty crowbar), but even then he would take a few hits from these fast zombies. Even Clementine couldn’t keep up with everything, as by this point she would be firing at what seemed to be the closest threat to her. As the two frantically attempted to keep the zombies at bay, the cart would finally reach its destination.

“Now! Step into the cart!” Grigori yells as he fires upon the Zombies that surrounded the two. With that said, Gordon would grab Clementine’s arm and the two quickly enter the cart. As he fired his MP7 into two more Fast Zombies that had reached the roof, Grigori would yell from his perch once again.

“The handbrake, Daughter! Release it and come down!”

“Okay!” Yells Clementine, doing exactly as told. Once the handbrake was released, the cart would quickly move over the roadway and into the church’s perimeter, the last of the Fast Zombies being dispatched. Eventually the two finally come face to face with the weathered-looking priest, as he gives them a proper greeting.

“Greetings Brother, Daughter...and so we finally meet at last…”

“Um...It’s nice to-ah!” Clementine would yelp in pain and hold her arm in response. She then rolls up her sleeve to see that there was a large scratch running across it, made by one of the Fast Zombies that had nearly overwhelmed the two of them...something that could easily get infected if it wasn’t treated. As if by pure instinct, or perhaps by mere coincidence, Father Grigori would hand Clementine a large, advanced-looking Medikit for her own use.

“Here, my child...You do know how to use it, correct?”

“Uh…” Clementine pauses for a moment. “...N-no...I never got to learn...before I got here, I mean.”

“Ah...that is indeed a shame…” As Father Grigori seats himself down nearest to the table, Gordon would kneel down next to little Clementine and begins to show her how to use the medkit.

“You are commended for avoiding my traps.” The old man says. “The work of a man who once had too much time on his hands, and now finds time for nothing but the work of salvation…”

“Salvation?” Clementine asks as she watches Gordon apply the medical gel onto her wounded arm, wincing a bit at the stinging pain that soon came forth afterwards.

“What’s that? Is it...something bad?”

“Something you need not concern yourself yet, child.” Grigori says politely. Gordon would then take two more medkits from the crates sitting next to the motor and hands one to Clementine, motioning her to keep it close. Before she could even put it anywhere, she hears Grigori mutter something to her.

“I am not used to seeing someone so full of Light surrounded by the chaos and Darkness of Ravenholm, especially one of your age...tell me, my child...where do you come from?”

“Uh…” Clementine thinks for a moment. “...Well...I used to live near Atlanta...then I went with my friend, Lee, to Macron...to find his own parents.”

“I see...and tell me...where is this friend of yours?” Grigori asks inquisitively. For a partially insane priest, he seemed to have quite a clear conscious for the time being.

“He…he’s dead…” Clementine says mournfully.

“Do not worry, child. This ‘Lee’ you knew shall rise again...he will find Salvation.” Grigori says in a hopeful tone. Sadly it doesn’t help much, as she thinks back to his final moments. This would all be interrupted when Gordon places a hand on her shoulder, and motions to Grigori.

“Ah...I suspect you have little wish to remain in Ravenholm, so let me show you both to the mines.” He stands himself up, straightening his back with a small groan. “As for me...A shepherd must tend to his flock. Especially when they have grown... _Unruly_.” As the two stand up and ready themselves, Grigori stops them for a moment.

“Follow me, Brother and Daughter, and...tread carefully...for this... _is hallowed ground..._ "

 

As the two enter the graveyard, the moans and groans of the undead could be heard emanating within. Hordes of Headcrab Zombies shamble their way towards the three. They battle through the stumbling husks, with Grigori reciting passages from some mental book as he guns down zombie after zombie, Gordon using the Gravity Gun to cleave a path through the thickest of hordes, and Clementine acting as the minor support, firing at anything that got too close to either Grigori or Gordon. As they reached the entrance to the Mines, Father Grigori would run around to a small switch.

“Flee, Brother! Flee, Child! Hurry while I hold open the gate!” shouts Grigori

“W-Wait!” Clementine yells. “What about you!?”

“I will keep the gate open for you, my child! Do not worry about an old man such as myself! Now go, quickly!” Before she could even react, Gordon would drag Clementine through the gate in a hasty manner, of which she gives Gordon a shocked and disapproving look. As the gate closes in front of them, Father Grigori runs forth.

“Farewell Brother, Daughter...I fear I deliver you two to a darker place! May the Light of Lights illuminate your paths!”

“Please!” Clementine pleaded. “Don’t do this! Come with us!” Father Grigori simply ignored the child’s begging, and as the hordes of Headcrab Zombies approached, he simply walks away from the gate.

_“Walk to your own...salvation! Hm-hmm, hmm, aha ha ha ha ha-hahahahahahaha!”_

With that said, he proceeds to have a last stand against the encroaching horde. He would place bullet after bullet into the bodies of the parasites that controlled the poor victims that shamble towards the priest. As he leads them into a nearby tomb, several canisters of propane explode nearby, causing a large fire to block the exit from the building.

“No!” Clementine yells, and Gordon quickly turns her away. She would sob as she hears the priest laugh maniacally with each shot, and Gordon tries his best to get her out of this hellish graveyard as quickly as possible.

_The last thing the two hear would be the dying laughs of a good man wracked by grief, not for the friends he had saved, but for the lives that were snuffed at the hands of this new world._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for those that have just gotten the message from Fanfic.net, this is what would have been chapter 3 on there. Instead, this has been rolled back to Chapter 2, with the Chapter 1 of the story, Unforeseen Consequences, becoming more-or-less a prologue.
> 
> Chapter 3 took a long ass time to make, I understand (hopefully it would have been worth the wait), so I don't expect Chapter 4 to make a speedy exit either. On the other hand its given me the incentive to try and cover each chapter of HL2 as much as I can, without trying to bog things down too much.
> 
> I honestly hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I gotta give thanks to the mates that got to review it/follow this story, really helps out with keeping me from being a lazy-ass about uploading stuff.


	4. Chapter 3: CONTACT CONFIRMED

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the loss of Father Grigori still fresh in the minds of our intrepid protagonists, the two continue to press on through Ravenholm's Mines...and eventually meet a deadlier foe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeeey here be the next chapter. It's kinda short I know, but I can assure you that the next one will probably be as long as Ravenholm Remorse, if not longer. I honestly had the most fun with this chapter just by attempting to capture the personality (or lack there of) of the Overwatch Transhuman Arm. I've always been fascinated by their speech patterns and vocabulary, among most other things, so I did my best to emulate it as best as possible without copy-pasting the plain old voicelines you hear in the normal game. Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did!

Chapter 3: **< ::** **CONTACT CONFIRMED:: >**

 

Clementine sobs uncontrollably as she and Gordon made it into the building leading to the Ravenholm Mines, the blazing inferno still being heard outside, muffled only by the interior walls and the moans of the Headcrab Zombies that still dwell near the gate.

“Why...Why did he do that?!” Clementine cries out. The situation prior only brought back painful memories of Lee and his own sacrifice, alongside other not-so-fond flashbacks of Larry, Carley, and others. She slowly calms herself down once Gordon wraps an arm around her...perhaps in the most awkward way possible, seeing as how the former MIT graduate had absolutely no experience with children. Fortunately it didn’t seem to matter with little Clem, as she stops sobbing the very next minute, even going so far as to hug the Good Doctor back in response. Despite the sniffling and the tear-wiping, Clementine would regain herself soon afterwards and lets out a small sigh of relief.

“...Th-Thank you very much, Gordon…” she says quietly, and once again Gordon gives her a genuine thumbs up, though in the back of his mind he regrets not getting something, like a piece of paper and a pen, so he could at least communicate with someone like Clementine. At any rate, the two continue onwards to the entrance to the mines...which would only be a large hole in the ground. With no elevator in sight and the only way down being a rickety set of broken boards, Gordon would begin to evaluate how he and the girl would be able to make it safely down...then he noticed the multitudes of Headcrabs that swarmed the lower portion of the mine.

“We’re going down there…?” whispered Clementine, a note of anxiety hanging in her voice, of which Gordon responds with a strained nod. Soon enough, Clementine readies her USP in preparation for the swarm that awaited them both, when Gordon lowers it quickly.

“What?” asked Clementine. Gordon simply shakes his head and motions her to stay put.

“I want to help, at least!” yelped the girl, her expression reflecting the frustration she felt for this idea. Sighing silently, Gordon gives her a short nod, but he points to the last board at the bottom of the mineshaft, motioning her to stay put there as the Headcrabs wouldn't be able to reach her.

“...Wouldn't that be a bad place to shoot from?” 

Gordon responds with another shake of the head. After motioning her to follow closely, the two would begin their careful descent down into Ravenholm’s infested mines, the wooden boards creaking and groaning under their weight. Once they made it to the last board, Gordon specifically motions for Clementine to stay put as he pulls out the SPAS-12 Father Grigori gave him. Although hesitant to follow his command, Clementine just gives him another frustrated glance as she sat herself down on the board. With an encouraging smile, Gordon drops down onto the catwalks below and proceeds to unload on the Headcrabs that scuttled across the mine’s floor, with Clementine firing from her position just above him. On occasion, a Fast Headcrab or Black Headcrab would make it up to the catwalks before they were quickly dispatched by either Gordon or Clementine. Once the immediate threats were dealt with, Gordon motions Clementine to jump down to him. Clementine hesitates, of course, mentally taking note of the distance between her, Gordon, and the cold rocky floor below. Seeing as how she had little to no other choice, she mentally prepares herself for the jump.

“Don’t drop me when I jump, alright?!” She yells, obviously nervous about jumping down to Gordon from the height she was at. With a deep breath, she hops off from the board she was standing on, yelling as she fell down to the catwalks until Gordon quickly catches her.

“Thanks for...for not dropping me there, Gordon.” She says with a sigh of relief, to which Gordon replies with yet another affirmative nod. After setting the girl down gently, the two carefully make their way through the mines, eventually coming up onto a deep pit with a pool of water waiting for the two at the bottom. This time Clementine backs up a bit, shaking her head.

“It’s too far down...Is there another way around?”

The nervousness and anxiety was ever-prevalent in her voice and body language as she backed away from the hole. Gordon simply shakes his head, but he motions her to come over...and then it was her turn to shake her head.

“No! It’s too far, we need to just-”

She would be cut off by Gordon just waving his hands at her, before pointing at his suit. He then makes a gesture similar to him bear hugging someone, before he points down into the hole. She still hesitates to move closer, though.

“...It just...I don’t know…” she mutters. Gordon would reassure Clementine the best way he could: by simply putting his left hand on her right shoulder, and giving her a thumbs up. She still isn't all that convinced, unfortunately...and backs away a little more.

“...Can't we just...wrap some rope around something and climb down?”

Gordon once again shakes his head, motioning that there is no good rope around and even if there was, it would most likely be too rotted to be useable. Running out of options, Clementine hesitantly walks forward a bit, looking down into the pit once again...then she looks back at Gordon.

“...Are you sure your plan will work…? What if it goes wrong…?”

Gordon silently reassures her that everything will be alright, and that the HEV suit will absorb the majority of the shock. With a hesitant nod, she readies herself for the jump.

“...Alright...let’s go!”

Gordon picks her up immedietly afterwards, like how he did on the rooftops of Ravenholm, and looks down into the pit. He sucks in as much air as possible in order to prepare for the possible shock and , readjusting Clementine into a more secure position, jumps feet first into the pit. Within seconds the two would plunge into the water, the shock of how cold it was nearly taking away Clementine’s own breath as they dove deep into the pool. Eventually they would resurface, with Clementine gasping for air due to the initial plunge.

“I-its s-s-so c-c-cold-d!” She sputters, unable to keep her teeth chattering. Quickly, Gordon motions her to take a deep breath and to hold his hand, as they would have to dive into an underwater tunnel and swim through it. She complies, obviously wanting to get out of the water as quickly as possible.

“O-o-ok-kay, b-but h-h-hurry! I-I-It’s st-t-tart-t-ting to g-get c-c-colder!” She yells, wrapping her arms around her chest in a vain attempt to keep her submerged body warm. Gordon grabs a hold of her hand and, taking in a deep breath, the two would fully submerge themselves under the water. As they swam through the flooded mine shaft, they would come across a pocket where they could surface for air. When they did, a long tongue would wrap around Gordon’s neck and begins to pull him up. As he grabbed onto the tongue in order to make sure it wouldn’t snap his neck due to all the weight, he would see that a Barnacle was pulling up towards its gaping maw.

“Gordon!” Clementine yells, fumbling through her skirt to find the USP he’d given her back in Ravenholm. While she was searching for that, Gordon would take a hold of his MP7 and fires an entire clip into it, whereas it would immediately die off due to the sustained fire. Its tongue would unwrap itself from Gordon’s neck, and he plummets back into the water below him, with Clementine barely missing him once he lands. After a moment of raw tension, Gordon breaks the surface of the water once again, coughing and gasping for air. Before Clementine could even ask if he was alright, he motions her to hold her breath and to hold on tightly. Reluctantly, she does exactly as told and the two dive into the water once again.

 

Once they finally make it out of the flooded mines, the two come across a burning fire and a mine shaft leading to the surface. Before Gordon could even think of going to the mineshaft, he hears her stutter a question.

“G-G-Gordon...a-are w-w-we going t-to i-i-i-ignore w-what h-ha-happened-d back t-t-th-there?”

Realizing that she must be freezing, Gordon quickly leads her over to the nearby fire, sitting down next to her while she warmed up...though she still was waiting on an answer to her question. Gordon simply nods and gives her an ‘O-K’ sign, before he motions to her.

“I-it's j-just a little c-cold” she responds. “I-I'll be fine, th-thanks to th-this warm fire…”

After a long period of silence, she asked “...Have y-you dealt with th-this before, Doctor Freeman?” Hesitantly, Gordon nods a bit and scoots back, writing ‘BLACK MESA’ in the sand.

“...Black...Mesa…? What is th-that?” She asks curiously. Seeing as how he had a bit before she was completely dry, he would give her an abridged version of what Black Mesa was and what happened there, explaining it as simply as possible to her.

“So...you were researching how to...teleport something?” she asks, to which Gordon nods. Then, in a random fit of optimism, she asks yet another question, one that catches him off-guard at first.

“...So wait, would you be able to get me back home?”

Confused, Gordon arches an eyebrow in her direction.

“Oh...uh...y-yeah, I…” she then quiets down a bit.

“...Nevermind, it was a dumb question.”

There would be an obvious air of concern surrounding Gordon as he tried to figure out what she was asking, before she interrupts his train of thought.

“...About what happened back there...I...I’m sorry I couldn't help…” she mutters. “I-I tried to get the gun you gave me, but I couldn't find it, and...I thought…”

She stops as soon as she sees Gordon writing “It's alright” in the sand, continuing with “Things happen. Can't predict everything.” Reassured by his  words, Clementine nods a bit and proceeds to stand herself up.

“I think I’m all dried up now, Doctor Freeman. Can we get going?” She asks with a hint of excitement in her question. Gordon simply answers with a nod, stands himself up, and proceeds to walk with Clementine towards the mineshaft.

 

After getting through the perilous mineshaft involving a motorized minecart fitted with a rotating blade and quite a few Headcrab Zombies, the two finally make it to the surface, where they enter a seemingly abandoned railroad. The sun would just be breaking over the horizon as they leave the mines, their moment of peace interrupted by a distant gunshot and a guttural, inhuman death rattle. Quietly, Gordon moves down the railroad that led down to a few abandoned trains when they are ambushed by a lone Fast Zombie, which pounces on Gordon before he had the chance to shoot it. Holding it back with just his shotgun alone, he looks over to Clementine to see her take aim with her USP. With a deep breath, she takes several shots, hitting the Fast Zombie in the head. It recoils in pain, yelling and screeching with ferocity as it shifts its attention towards the girl. Before it could get the chance to pounce her, Gordon would be able to get a single shot off on the undead menace, killing it instantly with a well-placed shot to the head. Once that whole ordeal was over, Clementine runs over to Gordon and shouts “I did it! I got it!”, to which Gordon would respond with enthusiastic encouragement.

As the two continued the trek through the rail yard, they would come across the corpse of an unknown soldier lying on the edge of the tracks. The soldier in question wore a grey suit covering him from head to toe. He had bits of equipment on his belt, from a tactical bag to grenades and the likes. What Clementine noticed the most as she studied this soldier was his helmet: dark grey with a metallic sheen, and two bright blue eyepieces that showed no hint of emotion, despite it being deceased. She looks back up to Gordon as he walks over to the corpse, grabbing what ammo and medical supplies he could get.

    "What is that?"

Gordon turned to Clementine when she asked her question...and the only answer he could give her a shrug, noting that even he didn't quite know.

    "He looks...scary..." She would respond. Eventually the two continue onwards, until they hear the faint ' _pat pat'_ of gunfire ahead. Gordon quickly brings Clementine to cover, and points to the archway ahead of them. Several bodies would be lying just in front of the arch, with a blue laser protruding from an open window and a vocoded voice could be heard faintly just above. Slowly, he moves towards the archway, motioning Clementine to stay put and stay hidden. As he got closer, he could hear the voice more and more clearly.

**< ::Overwatch, Hardpoint Apex-1 is secure, tagged four necrotics.::>**

**< ::Copy, hold position and await further orders.::>**

As soon as he was close enough, he slowly pulls out a grenade from his HEV storage compartment. Before he could pull the pin, he hears Clementine shriek in the distance, which both startles him and alerts the nearby sniper.

**< ::GHOST 3, I got an audio disturbance south of Hardpoint Apex-1, Investigating.::>**

Gordon would see the opposite window on the archway open and watches as the laser make its way to the opposite end of the tunnel, where he sees Clementine holding back a stray Headcrab.

**< ::UNIT has visual contact on an Outland Sub-prime and a loose Parasitic, possible Suppression Field Breach in the sector. How Copy.::>**

**< ::Leader 4 of Sterilization Team NOMAD reporting, Expunge Parasitic and Probe possible Suppression Breach. Consider Amputation a possibility, out.::>**

**< ::Copy that, prosecuting.::>**

Before the Sniper even had a chance to execute his commands, Gordon would quickly pull the pin on his grenade and chucks it into the window.

 **< ::BOUNCER, BOUNCER!::>** yelled the sniper, and after the grenade explodes he would fly out of the archway, landing on the ground in a limp pose. Soon enough he quickly runs back to where he left Clementine, where she would be holding off a Headcrab attempting to latch onto her head.

“Gordon! Help me!” She yells, shrieking as it lunges forward at her. As she kept it at bay, Gordon would run forward and swings his crowbar into the parasite, sending it flying and killing it instantaneously. When Clementine recovers, she begins to shudder and shake a bit.

“I-I-I tried to get it, I’m sorry, I wanted to…”

Gordon simply stops her, motioning once again that it wasn’t entirely her fault. Even then, he motions that she needs to calm down and think things through. After another apology, the two quiet down when the deceased Sniper’s radio goes off.

**< ::Bio-Signal for GHOST 1 has been lost, all units be advised, we have possible Non-citizens in the sector.::>**

**< ::GHOST 3 responding, no visual on Necrotic individuals or Non-Citizens, last known audio disturbance located near Hardpoint Apex-1 approximately one mike prior to Bio-Signal loss. Holding Hardpoint Apex-2 and awaiting reinforcements, over.::>**

**< ::Copy that, Sterilization Team inbound, ETA 3 mikes.::>**

Gordon would take a hold of Clementine’s arm and moves down the rail line leading to an abandoned station. Before they could get anywhere, they would run into a second sniper, whereas Gordon quickly pulls the girl into cover with him.

**< :: Visual confirmation on ANTICITIZEN 1, repeat, confirmed visual on Freeman. Prosecuting.::>**

**< ::Understood. Be advised, Sterilization Team has encountered four necrotics, unable to provide assistance until secondary targets have been sterilized.::>**

**< ::Copy that.::>**

After a bit of suppressive fire, Freeman would sprint out from cover and towards the derailed train that acted as cover, the gunfight escalating quickly when the sniper blows up a cart holding unused lumber. All the while, Clementine would fire her USP at the sniper in order to provide a bit of a distraction, to which the sniper responds with retaliatory fire.

**< ::Visual on Suppression Field Failure, classified as Non-Citizen Sub-prime, engaged in firefight. Possibility of Amputat-::>**

Before he could continue, another grenade lands into the sniper nest.

**< ::SHIT!!!::>**

Soon enough, the sniper is blown out of his position, dying instantly even before he lands on the ground. Eventually Clementine and Gordon come across three other soldiers, all clad in gray suits with gas-masks and equipped with technologically advanced rifles, firing at two Headcrab Zombies.

**< ::Overwatch, sector is overrun, requesting reinforcements::> **

When the last Zombie is eliminated, Gordon proceeds to ambush the unsuspecting soldiers, killing two quickly and shooting out a third that manages to take cover. Eventually they come across a large warehouse, guarded by another squad, with gunfire coming from inside. With his new weapon, the _OSIPR AR2_ , He proceeds to engage the squad standing outside.

**< ::Contact Confirmed! Range fifty meters bearing thirty degrees!::>**

With that said an intense firefight takes place just outside of the warehouse; barrels explode left and right as the two forces engage each other, with dark pulse rounds whizzing past the two parties. One soldier is taken down by a well-placed .357 round from Clementine.

**< ::SWORD 3, Duty vacated. Non-Citizen Sub-prime is CLASS 2 threat, Secondary Target status approved.::>**

Eventually the squad would be eliminated, but there would still be the fighting going on within the warehouse.

 

When the two enter, all hell would be breaking loose around them. Citizens and soldiers would fire at one another within a crowded area cluttered with old crates, mechanical objects, and other pieces of useable cover. Gordon quickly motions Clementine to hide and take cover as he joins the fight against the soldiers.

 **< ::Overwatch, we have engaged against several Non-Citizens and Primary Target. Leader 2 deserviced, requesting Skyshield drop at marked coordinates::>** One soldier yells through a vocoder, before he is dispatched by a citizen wielding an SMG.

**< ::JUDGE 5 Duty Vacated, JUDGE 3 Field promotion active. Maintain pressure on Outbreak. Fire to dislocate that interpose!::>**

**< ::Copy that. On mark: 3, 2, 1, Go sharp! Go sharp!::>**

The three remaining soldiers would begin to move forward with guns blazing, executing various tactical movements and actions the likes of which a girl like Clementine has never witnessed before. She watched as the brutal fighting intensifies with each passing minute as the soldiers engaged with both Gordon and the refugees that were initially fighting them off. Eventually all that remains would be a shotgunner, clad in a muddy maroon-tinged suit.

 **< ::Sector is complete overrun, requesting reserve activation at my location.::>** Once the soldier relays the radio message, he would be flanked by Gordon, eliminating him by a well-placed shotgun blast to the cranium. Soon enough, all goes quiet through the warehouse once the fighting had ended

“Is anyone hurt?!” Yells one refugee as a medic runs up to a seemingly wounded citizen. She kneels down to him and checks his wound.

“Winston’s been hit…” She says in a mournful tone.

“Patch him up and send him on back as soon as he’s stable.” Says the refugee. He then turns to look at Gordon.

“Gordon Freeman?! It’s incredible you made it! Where’s the kid you brought with you?”

“I’m over here!” Yells Clementine as she stepped out of her hiding spot, waving at the refugee.

“Smart girl...anyways, we’ve been getting communications from Alyx, I’ll see if I can reach her again. Follow me.” The refugee then leads both Gordon and Clementine to a small back room with a locked door. Once the two reached him he knocks on it.

“It’s Leon, we’re all clear, and I got Gordon Freeman and...uh...Clementine I think her name is.” Soon enough a woman opens the door for the three, responding with a bit of surprise.

“Doctor Freeman? You’re kidding! I’ve been on the line with Alyx...her father’s been captured.”

There would be a small pause from everyone, with Clementine expressing a subtle hint of shock and worry.

“Over here, Doctor Freeman.” Leon says, and he leads Gordon and Clementine over to a small screen projecting Alyx’s face. As they walked over to the screen, a Vortigaunt - an alien Clementine has never even seen before, with the exception of the raid on Black Mesa East - remarks “The Eli Vance is indispensable to the liberation.” Once the two are close enough, Leon begins to speak into a radio nearest to the screen.

“Alyx, it’s Leon, and I have Gordon Freeman with me. He also brough the girl you were talking about...that, uh, Clementine girl.”

“Gordon, Clementine!” Alyx exclaims. “You made it through Ravenholm, thank God!"

"Alyx!" Clementine yells back, rushing forward towards the radio set. 

"Are you okay?! Did those...scary people hurt you?"

I'm fine, Clementine! No need to worry..." Says Alyx in same calm manner she used before, when she first met with the little girl. She thrn looks back over to Gordon, her expression changing from her calming sense of relief, to somber desperation.

"Listen Gordon, I need your help...they’ve taken my Father...They’ve taken him to Nova Prospekt, the Vortigaunts tracked the ship that took him and Judith Mossman. While the trains are still running I’m gonna hitch a ride, here’s where you come in, Gordon. I need you to make your way along the coast until you get to Nova Prospekt.”

“Wait...what’s Nova Prospekt?” Clementine asks inquisitively.

“It used to be a high-security prison it’s...something much worse now.” Alyx explains quickly, “But I still think it’s easier sneaking in than breaking out.”

“You want him to take the coast road?” Leon asks, concerned. “He won’t last five minutes on foot, it’s spawning season for the Antlions!”

“That’s why I called you, Leon. I was hoping you still had the scout car from last summer, the one my dad fitted with the TAU cannon.”

“Yeah, that's a good idea.” Leon says. “Give me a minute.” He then moves over to a nearby radio and switches it on.

“Narco? Bring the buggy out, put it on the dock right now. Gordon Freeman will be driving it.”

“Will do!” Says a cheery voice. “I just finished mounting an ammo crate on the back!”

“Good timing.” muses Leon, who then switches back to Alyx.

“Alright Alyx, we’re all set here.”

“Alright, Thanks Leon.”

“Hold on a sec.” Leon interjected.  “What about the girl? With the Combine bearing down on us, we won't be able to stay here for long, especially now that they have our location.”

“Mmm…” Alyx pauses for a moment, thinking on the question at hand.

“...What about the Vort camp? It's on the way, and secure as ever. Not to mention the Vorts will know what to do if the situation gets dicey.”

“W-what?” Clementine finally asked, having slightly eavesdropped on the conversation prior to her situation being brought up. “But...I-I don't want to be left alone! What if something happens…?”

“Clementine, hon, you’re not going to be left alone.” Alyx responds, her voice giving off a soothing, rather calming vibe “Nova Prospekt is a very dangerous place, too dangerous for someone like you. If the Combine ever got their hands on you…” She pauses for a moment, as she didn't want to terrify the child. She then changes the subject quickly.

“You'll be safer over in the Vort Camp, and we’ll make sure of that.”

After a silent, hesitant nod from Clementine she reverts her attention back to Gordon Freeman.

“Gordon I haven’t driven the coast road in over a year, but I have no reason to believe that it’s gotten any safer. Meet me at the depot, where the trains unload. You two take care of each other, and I’ll see you at Nova Prospekt. Bye for now.”

“Bye Alyx.” Said Leon, with Clementine yelling “Bye!” before he had shut off the transmission. He then turns to the good Doctor and little Clementine.

“Hoo’kay you two, before you hit the road you might wanna grab some medkits, uh restock on ammo and supplies, maybe check the maps, see where you’re heading...there’s an Ammo supply crate on the back of the car, if that’s any comfort.” He then walks over towards the door nearest to the radio station and opens it up.

“Stay with the car, make use of the Thumpers, and you’ll stand a chance against the Antlions.”

“Thumpers?” Clementine asked, curious as ever. “What are those? And what are Antlions”

“Eeeeeh…” Leon pauses for a moment. “Think of them like oil rigs, right? Instead of pumping oil, though, they just slam into the ground.”

“...Well what's the point in that?” Clementine asks

“Keeps the Antlions away. Force of the Thumper messes with them, they can’t stand that stuff.”

“Oh...so...what are Antlions…? Are they big ants?”

“Look sweetie, I’d love to answer every question you got, but you two gotta get going.”

“Aw…” Clementine looks to the ground, disappointed that her question could not be answered. He then motions the two of them to grab what they can and get on out.

“Oh, almost forgot...the uh, the Jeep only has one seat, so she’ll have to hold on tight. Sorry.”

Gordon shrugs a bit, though obviously he would be rather upset by these turn of events. Soon enough he grabs what ammo and medical supplies he could and stuffs it into his H.E.V storage compartment. He even grabs a few spare rations, just for the both of them on the long road ahead. Afterwards he leads Clementine outside, where already the all-too-common sound of AR2 Gunfire could be heard straight ahead. Down below large insect-like creatures would attempt to get onto the docks fruitlessly as they’re gunned down by the sentries. Further ahead, a rebel would speak to the two through an intercom attached to an industrial crane fitted with an old magnet.

“Hello Doctor Freeman! The car’s all ready for you two! Hop in and I’ll lower you down to the beach.”

Quickly, Gordon would lead Clementine over to the Buggy, having her sit closest to his seat before he himself gets on in, strapping himself in. All the while Clementine would look at her surroundings, noticing just how low the water level was.

“...It’s so low…” she mumbled. “What happened to all the water…?” Before her question could even be answered, the rebel would begin to speak through the intercom once again.

“Good, here we go.”

Slowly the magnet from the crane above the two would lower itself and attracts the Jeep to itself. Afterwards the rebel would move the crane’s arm out over the beach...that is, until the groaning of metal could be heard coming from the magnet itself.

“...The magnet’s failing, hold on.”

With that said, another groan could be heard and as soon as he heard this, Gordon would quickly grab onto Clementine. Suddenly, the Jeep plummets down towards the beach, the little girl screaming as it fell. It slams into the sand, bouncing up a bit whereas Gordon’s HEV suit would release a warning.

 _“Warning! Minor fractures detected!”_ Once he unstraps himself from the Jeep, he lets go of Clementine and shakes her a bit.

“Ahg...I’m okay!” Clementine yells, holding her arm a bit as she sat on the roof of the jeep. The peaceful moment would be short-lived when the jeep was surrounded by Antlions looking for a quick meal, all of which would be dispatched quickly by the sentries posted on the docks.

“Sorry Doc!” The rebel yells from the crane. “We’ll cover you as best as we can, but you both need to get going!” Gordon then climbs out from the overturned Jeep, helping Clementine out as well once he made it. Soon enough he flips the jeep over with his Gravity Gun and pulls Clementine back to it, strapping himself in once again. Once he starts it, he floors the gas pedal and speeds his way out from Shore Point with Clementine in tow. Eventually, as they plow through Antlion after Antlion, they make onto the desolate Highway 17, and start their journey to _Nova Prospekt_


	5. Breencast: Myths and Illusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the young Clementine and the astute Gordon Freeman begin their journey to Nova Prospekt, a Breencast begins within the confines of City 17...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just a little blurb I thought of posting onto the story, in order to both spice things up and give Wallace Breen (our favorite Administrator) a bit of love. As always, Enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> (Also this blurb is the start of the AO3 exclusivity portion of this story, so basically this and beyond will mark the complete transition to AO3. Yey.)

_Cover Art made by Yours Truly._

**< ::Attention, please. All autonomous citizens of: CITY 17 and: Similar Residential Sectors. An important announcement is to be made by your administrator. Please, divert your attention to your nearest Broadcast Apparatus or Holoscreen.::>**

 

_*****STATIC...***** _

 

_The broadcast begins with the screen of Combine Propaganda: Strange letters no human could understand, followed by a lone dove just off-center flying off to who knows where. Soon, the screen changes to Doctor Wallace Breen himself._

 

"Greetings, Citizens of City 17 and beyond. It has come to my attention that more and more of our species have fallen to the ignorant views and philosophies of these so-called 'Rebels.' What shocks me the most is not because they were spurred by the actions of this dangerous criminal that runs amok. No, it's something far worse than that: Something of an illusion, false information that has been spread forth by those who seek to pollute the minds of the enlightened and the civil. These unsophisticated minds have gone on to spread the rumor that a human child has made her appearance within City 17.

 

Firstly, let me remind you all of the impossibility of this situation. Though the Suppression Field was enacted in order to eliminate the demons that would drive our species to the brink of destruction would these primal emotions ever return, Our Benefactors would never allow such a fatal flaw to sneak its way past this benefit that They had generously given to our species.

Secondly, as I had stated before: Instinct is our enemy. Instinct and Superstition are one in the same. A child like this is nothing more than the manifestation of past emotions that crawl from the pits of a dead age. Something that we as a species idolized and held dear to our hearts in the past. We all know the significance children have held in our society, before we had been visited by Our Benefactors. They were the hope of a better future. They were our newest generation. They were our successors. It is natural for those who still fear for the future of the species to spread such a lie throughout the world. With this, Superstition has sunk its teeth into the mind, or minds, of those who choose to believe such fruitless endeavors. 

Our Benefactors chose to restrict such emotions due to these exact superstitions. Such dangerous thoughts can lead to ignorance, destroying what we as a species had striven towards so much since our integration into the Universal Union. Such thoughts can and will decay what bonds we had forged with Our Benefactors.

This child, this...Clementine, as small minds call her, is nothing more than a false hope that they had created to spur Instinct into action. They hope that this symbol will lead to a more sympathetic outlook onto their cause: That they are willing to protect someone as young and innocent as this myth, which coincides with Instinct itself: the emotion to protect the innocence and the frugality of children. That there is a possibility to bypass and indeed counteract the Suppression Field to allow for Instinct to take hold of our species, to allow them to breed and therefore bring forth the worst aspects of Mankind that had been laid to rest.

We are on the precipice of enlightenment and immortality. We as a species have never been this close to spreading ourselves among the stars since the days of Black Mesa. This illusion created by this known Disruptior and his collaborators could very well impede our chances at such a goal, or indeed cause us to slip back into the murky darkness of the abyss that we had found ourselves in since the days of old.

Such an illusion will lead to destructive thought, as all illusions will, as that is their intended purpose. Illusion is what leads to Superstition. Illusion is what we used to cope with the stressful times when electricity was nonexistent and the comforts of the modern world were but a forethought. Illusion and Superstition go hand-in-hand; It allows those who seek to spread Superstition among those who are better off without it with ease. It convinces even the most hearty of minds to stray from enlightenment and down the path into ignorance. Illusion enforces Superstition. Superstition leads to Ignorance. Ignorance leads to the devolution of the mind, and therefor the devolution of our species.

Illusion leads to Superstition, Superstition leads to Ignorance, and Ignorance leads to Destruction.

Like Instinct, we must expunge each and every Illusion thrown at us so that we may stay focused on the current situation at hand. If we allow Illusion to slip past our mental defenses, we allow Superstition to cling onto our thoughts, our consciousness, and indeed our very way of thinking will be damaged beyond repair.

Illusion leads to Superstition.

With Superstition comes the ignorance of a bygone age. Where we as a species believe in such pitiful and shameful ideas and thoughts that would bring us back to square one should they completely absorb themselves into our behaviors and our consciousness.

Superstition leads to Ignorance.

Finally with these altered ways of thinking, it would cause a complete upheaval of what we had fought tooth and nail to accomplish, what we now know as the Enlightenment that the Universal Union and indeed Our Benefactors have so thoughtfully and graciously provided for us. We would revert back to the animals that we had simply evolved from, and in turn destroy our chances towards this Enlightenment.

Ignorance leads to Destruction.

 

 

Now, onto what our citizens fear of the most: The Suppression Field. As I had stated before, The Suppression Field was enacted to purge and expunge the dangers of Human Instinct. No one human can bypass this field, nor can the entire Species. We were given the cure to these Instincts that had been embedded into our genetic coding and our subconscious, and it will remain this way until we can completely purge these instincts from our kind.

While the Suppression Field prevents us from bearing children, and indeed our urge to reproduce and breed, it has given us a clear window to view our future, where as before it was nothing more than a clouded, scratched pane of material, of which the other side was left unseen. We are able to finally see our future as clearly as what the Universal Union could provide us. We can finally see ourselves grow and expand among our own universe, able to see what we once thought as Science Fiction. We can finally strive towards our true future: the future of space travel, colonization, and indeed even unification. Which brings me back to the issue that scratches at the back of our minds. With this Suppression Field enacted for our own safety, we can never assume something like this fabled 'Clementine' is able to happen, even by mere chance. The possibility of bypassing and even counteracting the Suppression Field and breach what is essentially our only way to keep our emotions in check is one to null.

If a child was ever born even if the embryonic process managed to progress unhindered, there would still be the possibility of massive defects that would later on lead to death. And even then, if the child manages to survive birth, it would have a most painful and short life. In conclusion, the child of which these instigators claim is 'the counteraction to the suppression of reproductive acts' is nothing more than an Illusion. Which loops back into the lesson of Illusion and Superstition.

 

So therefore, these Illusions of which have spread among the unenlightened populous of City 17 are just that, and will remain that way forevermore. I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors, and remember:  _Illusion leads to Superstition. Superstition leads to Ignorance. Ignorance leads to Destruction._ Thank you for your time."

 

_The Screen cuts back to the same piece of Propaganda seen before the broadcast had begun, with the Dove ever more prevalent than before. Soon, Breen stands up from his broadcast station and walks to his desk, sitting down behind it. He studies his bust for a moment, thinking back to the speech he had just given to the citizens of City 17, knowing full-well that the reports of this human child were true. He then calls forth the human commander of the Overwatch Transhuman Arm, and so a bald, almost friendly-looking man adorned in a formal military outfit makes his appearance._

"You called for me, Administrator?"

"I did, Consul. Thank you for coming." He motions for him to sit down in front of the desk, before taking a seat himself.

"So, what is it that you require of me, sir?"

"As you may know, we have confirmations of a child within our sector. A child, can you believe this? This could very well lead to more citizens siding with Gordon's cause, and it could very well degrade the trust we have worked so hard to build between Humanity and The Universal Union."

"I see, I see..." The Consul muses. "So she a child, you say? Interesting...very interesting."

"She's an anomaly is what she is, which is why I want her brought here. I want her to be studied. I want to know where she came from and if she could very well be the confirmation to our fears: the counteraction and full reversal of the Universal Union Suppression Field." Says Breen.

"I understand, Administrator. The Overwatch Transhuman Armament has taken note of this girl's appearance and stature. All we know is that she is Nine Earth-years old, has minimal firearms training, and she seems...reliant...on our Priority Target. There is one question that remains...how do we proceed with capturing her?"

"It would be in our best interests if she is brought back here, alive, with her memories remaining completely intact. It's that, or transport her to Nova Prospekt, in order to study just what information she may hold."

"Understood, Administrator." The Consul says. "I will see to it that the regiments of Overwatch Sector 17 will receive the order to capture her alive if they encounter her."

"I want a full report going out by tomorrow, and I want her in our custody as soon as humanly possible, Consul. We cannot allow this to continue as I'm sure you're all aware of the consequences of what would happen should this spread to the masses. This is an important task I am providing to you and the Overwatch Transhuman Arm that you command."

"I understand. I wi-" The Consul would soon be interrupted by Doctor Wallace Breen, who moves in closer to speak in a low tone.

"I know that you have failed to capture Doctor Freeman multiple times, Consul. Let me remind you that this is a highly sensitive situation we have found ourselves in. I chose you as my commander due to your experiences back in Black Mesa, yet it seems that you've come upon the same shortcomings that your 'predecessors' had encountered during the Resonance Cascade. Need I also remind you that if you are to fail this task or the other important tasks laid out in front of you, you will receive the highest mandatory punishment that can be given to any armament of the Universal Union? This is not something we can let slip, Consul. I hope you realize this." The Consul would remain silent for a moment, before he nods.

"I understand completely, Administrator. The Transhuman Armament will not fail you."

"See to it that you won't." Wallace retorts curtly _, and so the Consul is quickly and quietly dismissed. Once he leaves the office, Breen makes his way over towards the window overlooking the city itself, looking down on the buildings that stretch far and wide, and the citizens and Civil Protection Units that dwell within its confines._


	6. Chapter 4: Route to Nova Prospekt - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now having obtained the Jeep, Clementine and Gordon make their way towards the Vortigaunt Camp...but not before running into a few hitches along the way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeey its your mate Postal again.
> 
> For those that are wondering, I decided to split up the Highway 17 chapter into 2 parts, as covering the entirety of it would take about a month to complete (And that would take too damn long to finish, unlike the Ravenholm Chapter). I'm hoping to focus more on Clementine in the following chapters, especially when the two make it to the Vort Camp. In the meantime (and as always), hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Also: Happy Birthday, Episode 2. [10th Anniversary of Half Life 2, Episode 2, which was released on October 10th, 2007, on the Orange Box]

Chapter 4: Route to Nova Prospekt - Part 1

 

Gordon steers the Jeep past Antlion after Antlion as he and Clementine made their way along the coast road, occasionally smashing into one that failed to move out of the way. The two would be covered in Antlion Blood, with Clementine’s dress stained a sickly dark-yellow as a result. She squirmed a bit on the metal floor of the Jeep as another Antlion splattered itself across the hood, once again spraying dark-yellow blood onto the both of them.

“Eww!” Clementine shouts as she wipes the blood off of her face. “It’s...all sticky and gross!”

The two would eventually find a house on a small ridge, with a Thumper right next to it. Seeing it as their one bit of respite, Gordon would bring the Buggy over towards the active Thumper. Once he was close enough, the two would look to see the Antlions that had previously gone after them stand at a distance, showing off their wings from time to time as the Thumper interfered with their senses. He would park it as close as he could before he steps out of the Jeep, motioning Clementine to stay put for a moment. She responds with obvious confusion.

“But...what if you get in trouble? Shouldn’t I come to help? I could probably find something as well...”

Gordon hesitates for a moment. On one end he thought she would be safer near the Thumper, where the Antlions wouldn’t be able to reach her. On the other end he knows that having another hand to help with searching for supplies wouldn’t hurt, yet at the same time he notes just how many close calls the little girl had with Zombies, Headcrabs, and Combine Soldiers. In the end, he motions Clementine to follow him, and she responds happily.

“Alright! I promise I’ll do my best.” She says, climbing out of the Jeep with USP in hand. As they ventured into the shelled outpost, a body falls from what used to be the upper floor, which startles the both of them at first. Eventually Gordon calms down, but he notices Clementine tense as ever, all as if she’s been through it once before. After dispatching a Black Headcrab that hid itself amongst what remained of the upper floor, he climbs up a stack of boxes to the remnants above, helping Clementine up with him. Then they heard it: rough, uneven breathing, like someone was breathing through a snorkel or a gas mask. It was an obvious, tell-tale sign of a Poison Zombie lurking around the corner, and it convinced Gordon to play it safe by tossing a grenade into the room across the basement. It explodes and a pained roar is heard within, with the Poison Zombie stumbling out to greet the two intruders. Immediately the two begin to open fire at the monstrosity, which manages to sling a Black Headcrab at the two before it dies off. Gordon quickly moves in front of Clementine as the Black Headcrab flew towards them, taking the hit and, in turn, the venom it injects into him. Afterwards he kicks the poisonous parasite as hard as he could into the basement, which dies on impact from the force of his kick. The robotic warning of ‘Blood Toxin Levels’ still gets to Clementine, though, who looks up at Gordon with worry written all over her face.

“Are you gonna be alright?” she asked, to which Gordon responds with yet another thumbs up. She would then be surprised by his own question, asking her how she was holding up.

“I’m...uh...I’m doing alright, I guess. It’s just a little scary.” she mutters. “All these monsters are...they’re like nothing I’ve ever seen before and...I wish Lee-” She stops herself once she mentions Lee, and looks away for a moment.

She was holding something back, no doubt about that, and Gordon wanted to know what happened at the very least. He kneels down next to her, and writes in the dust the very name she told him.

“Lee?”

She hesitates for a moment. She felt as if she had already said too much...but it was too late now. She looks up at Gordon, and finally gains what courage she could gather to tell what happened to her. Besides, they had some time to kill as the Antlions surrounded the Thumper that kept them at bay.

 

Way before she was brought into this alien world, Clementine spent a majority of her childhood as...well, a normal child if anything. Going to school, having fun, just things most children would do. Then her parents left for Savannah and she herself was left with a Babysitter. The babysitter wasn’t all that bad, actually. In fact, she had quite a bit of fun with her, playing ‘Secret Sister’ with her and doing all these fun little games that she would normally play with her.

Then the Undead came.

At first the news only reported isolated events in Atlanta. Then it started to spread out to her home town. When things got bad, she and the babysitter took refuge in her treehouse, where they would be safe from whatever was happening down below. A day later the babysitter went to look for food and water for the both of them.

She never came back after that.

The only thing Clementine heard after she went back into the house was an ear-piercing, horrific scream. Like something out of _Dawn of the Dead_ or some other horror flick. She stayed up in that tree house for nearly three days, eating what food and drinking what water she and the Babysitter were able to grab before everything went downhill. Then she heard a crash, so loud she thought it was right outside of her house. After a few hours of fearfully deciding on what to do, she climbed down the ladder leading from her tree house, climbed over the fence that surrounded her back yard, and made her way towards the source of the noise. There she saw the wreck of a police cruiser...and an injured man sitting out beside it. She couldn’t see exactly who this man was, but she noticed him...and he noticed her.

“Hello!? Go and get some help! There’s been an accident!” screamed the man. Not knowing what else to do, and knowing that noise attracted those things from before, she ran away from the scene. She ran...for quite a bit anyways, and climbed back into her safe zone - her tree house - and waited for someone she knew to come and find her. Instead she would hear the distant pop of gunfire from where she was just moments ago, which only caused her to look out towards the woods. She saw movement...she saw the monsters that roamed just outside of her house, making their way towards the source of the noise.

After what seemed like forever, she noticed a man frantically climbing over her fence - the very same man she saw back near the car crash. She was able to distinctly tell who he was: African American, with dark brown eyes, short black hair and a goatee for facial hair. He was injured - his leg was cut, and he barely put any weight on it as he moved - but so far he looked like an average person. He walked into her home and she saw him looking around, taking a drink from her faucet, investigating whatever was on her kitchen floor, looking at the drawings she made...and then he came upon the message recorder on her phone. She took her radio out as he looked at the picture of her family, and spoke a single question into the receiver.

“Daddy?”

The man looked towards the kitchen counter, where the noise came from, and he walked over to find a similar radio.

“Hello?” He asked.

“You need to be quiet." She warned the stranger.

“Who are you?” The man asked in response.

“I’m Clementine.” She would answer.

“Well, nice to meet you, Clementine. I’m Lee.” he responds, keeping to a calm tone of voice.

This would be the first time she would actually meet Lee Everett - her guardian throughout the hell that awaited both of them, just outside of her house.

The two of them went towards a farm together soon after they left her neighborhood, met Kenny and his family, and eventually made their way to Macon, Georgia. There they would meet a few other survivors, and thus form the survivor group that she would come to know over the course of a month. She would witness the troubles of the survivors first hand, eventually facing starvation for the first time in her life. She would nearly eat human meat at the farm she was brought to, and witnessed the death of Larry at the hands of Kenny. She witnessed Lee spare the brothers despite what they did, and she stood at his side when he decided to not steal from a lone station wagon.

Then she heard the voice coming from her broken radio.

At first she didn't know what to expect, but she would talk to whoever had her second radio. She would talk about what happened and he would respond. Eventually he told her that he had her parents with him in Savannah...and she believed him. Even when the motor in the group was staying in was lost to Walkers and Raiders, she still had her parents on her mind.

She would later find out that the only friend she had that was closest to her age, Duck, was bitten by a walker earlier, and that he was slowly dying. Eventually when they find a working train, Lee and Kenny would accompany Katjaa and Duck into the woods...and she heard that tell-tale ‘pop’ of gunfire twice. When Lee and Kenny returned, Katjaa and Duck were nowhere in sight...and she assumed the worst. Soon afterwards, when they get the train rolling to Savannah, she would be confronted by Lee about whoever was talking in the Radio...and she faltered. Even when Lee tried as best as he could to tell her the truth in the best way possible, she was convinced her parents were still alive and well in Savannah.

This was the time when she also learned how to shoot, and to keep her hair nice and short.

Eventually they came across a couple trying to survive themselves: Christa and Omid. These two joined up with what's left of the survivors and make it to Savannah.

Things began to fall apart from there.

Once they made it into the town, they began their search for a working boat. This plan seemed like a hopeless endeavor until Clementine found a boat just in the shed of the house they stayed in. As time went on, however, she would begin to miss her parents more and more, finally breaking down when things just became unbearable for her.

At that point, she finally convinced herself to do what the voice said on her radio.

All she remembers then was the hotel room she was trapped in, terrified of what was going to happen. She was there for hours, not knowing what to do until she heard Lee talking to this man.

She knew he would kill Lee if she didn't act.

So she did what she knew best: she managed to get out of her room without being detected, grabs the cleaver Lee had set on the table, and sends it into his arm. She watched as Lee and the man struggled with one another, up until point when Lee choked the life out of him. Lee, covered in the blood of a walker, would eventually come up with an idea to sneak her past the roaring horde that had made their way into Savannah. He covered the little girl in the blood and guts of another walker that had wandered in, and the two made their way outside.

When the two finally got out of the hotel, the tensions couldn't have been higher. They were in the middle of a large herd, large enough that alerting them would spell their deaths.

Then she saw her parents, stumbling and moaning nearby. And then her guardian passed out in front of her.

She was terrified. She did the best that she could in order to pull Lee to safety, and when he finally woke up she learned that he was dying. He was bitten earlier that day when she first disappeared, and as he sat there, handcuffed to a nearby pipe and drawing his final breaths, he asked her to shoot him. She still remembered his final words he said to her.

“Find a group and stick with them.”

“Keep that hair short.”

_“I'll miss you”_

Eventually, she finally shot him, ending his life as quickly and painlessly as possible. Then she cried...and cried like never before. Even after she managed to make it out of Savannah she couldn't contain herself. She kept on sobbing all the way up to the countryside.

That is, until a man in a blue suit appeared before her.

He seemingly told her that he was watching her as she survived with the group, and offered her a “proposition.” She couldn't say no, as by the time she came to her senses she was aboard a tram floating in the middle of nothing, clearly remembering the words he spoke to her soon after she was brought aboard.

“You're a smart girl, so I don't see you having...trouble…in making decisive decisions...but...I advise you to reconsider...staying here...rather anticlimactic, if you do choose this...other...option.”

Seeing as how she had no other choice, she did what she was told, and stepped through the portal he led her to.

Then she woke up near Black Mesa East.

 

By the time Clementine was finished with her story, she was practically on the verge of breaking down. She wipes the tears from her face, containing a sob that managed to rise from her chest. Gordon on the other hand simply sat there, dumbfounded that the G-Man had taken interest in her and the fact that she wasn't even from here. Soon enough he realized that he needs to do something before Clementine starts crying like no tomorrow...so he does what he thought was the best he could do, and places his hands on her shoulders.

The next moment he finds himself mouthing the words “It’s alright. We’re survivors. We've been through hell and are still pushing forward. We will make it.” Then he gives her a sudden hug. The initial feeling of the cold HEV suit shocked her a bit, but eventually she hugs him back, holding back yet another sob.

“Th-thank you Gordon...thank you…” She mutters, to which he responds with another thumbs up. When she finally calms down from all that occurred, he motions to her if she’s ready to leave.

“Y-Yeah...let's go…”

After a bit more driving the two come across another house with a Thumper nearby. Gordon would park the jeep a ways away from the house, next to an old shed, where he motions Clementine to hide if anything happens. Afterwards he slowly approaches the side of the house to see a lone Combine Soldier looking through what appeared to be a high-tech scope.

**< ::OVERWATCH, I have eyes on several Malcontents, Sterilization Team NOMAD-2 is on standby. Requesting Airwatch support and Reinforcement activation at coordinates: 356 NORTH, 128 EAST.::>**

Gordon continues to approach the soldier more and more, raising the shotgun up towards his head. Soon another one walks into view, and the two spot one another.

**< ::CONTACT, CONTACT!!!::>**

Quickly, Gordon would dispatch the Soldier nearest to the scope before he slides towards cover, barely dodging OSIPR Pulse Fire as he did. He blindly firea a few shots from cover when he turns to see Clementine sprinting towards the shed, hiding behind a nearby box. Two more Soldiers would loop around and make their way towards Gordon’s position

 **< ::Contact made with Primary Target. Unit is moving in.::>** A maroon-tinged Soldier yells, cocking his shotgun in the process.

 **< ::Go sharp, go sharp!::>** Yells the other, which proceeds to lay down suppressive fire on Doctor Freeman. In response he switches out his Shotgun for the AR2, gunning down the charging maroon Combine soldier with several well-placed shots to the head. This in turn causes the second unit to backpedal towards the shed, laying down another bout of suppressive fire. Seeing as how his position was slightly compromised, he attempts to move into the house when he's stopped by more gunfire coming from the original soldier he failed to kill earlier. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, he attempts to fight off the primary unit closest to the shed.

That is, until Clementine surprises him by sending a heavy chunk of wood into the back of his helmet. It didn't do much damage, but it allowed Gordon to quickly gun down the soldier before he regained his balance. Suddenly the Second Soldier moves out from cover and sends put a spray of pulse fire, hitting Gordon in several places throughout his Armor. This causes him to fall back in pain, and the Soldier moves in for the killing blow. He puts his boot onto Gordon’s Chest and aims the AR2 at his unprotected head. As the soldier was about to pull the trigger, the two hear something charge up near the shed. When he looks over towards the source, he sees Clementine in the driver’s seat of the Jeep, holding down the trigger to the Tau cannon connected to the vehicle.

**< ::CONTACT, SECONDARY TARGET!::>**

He quickly aims the AR2 towards the Jeep, but by then it was too late. As Clementine releases the trigger, the Tau cannon releases a powerful blast of energy, penetrating the Combine Soldier’s armor. The Force of the blast sends him flying off of the side of the hill and onto the shore below, where his deceased body would be targeted by nearby Antlions. Once Gordon recovered from the shock of the initial ambush, Clementine climbs out of the Jeep and runs over to him.

“I got him! Are you alright?!” She asks, to which Gordon responds with a weary thumbs up.

“I did good...didn't I?” She asks as Gordon recovers his AR2, to which again, Gordon responds with a motion referring to needing some target practice.

“Oh...well...when can I practice?” Thinking for a moment, Gordon looks over towards the several Antlions that surrounded the whole of the outpost...and he comes up with an idea. Handing her his MP7, he points her over towards the Thumper, then he points to one of the more notable Antlions that skittered around and near the device. He then writes in the sand “Try to hit head, conserve ammo. Will be in house.”

“Okay!” She says with an excited tone, and so she quickly runs over towards the Thumper. Gordon would watch as she got into a stance that more fitted the use of a pistol more than an SMG. As she was about to fire, Gordon quickly runs over to Clementine and stops her before she could even begin her practice.

“What?” She asked. “This is how Lee taught me to shoot…” Gordon shakes his head and kneels down, writing “Pistol stance, not correct.” He then stands next to her and moves her into the proper position, similar to how Lee first taught the little girl how to fire. Once she was in the correct stance, he flips off the safety and points to the nearest Antlion. Taking a deep breath, she presses down on the trigger, not prepared for the full-auto recoil that she experienced. Her gun aims off-target and only hits the Antlion in its hardened carapace, which reacts adversely to the gunfire. It charges at the two in a blind rage, ready to kill at a moment's notice before the Thumper dissuades it from its course of action. The event startled Clementine quite a bit as she nearly dropped the SMG in fear, but as the Antlion backs off, Gordon would kneel down and imitates firing in short bursts, in a stance more befitting of an SMG.

“...So...don’t hold the trigger down, lean into it...and don’t be afraid of the Antlions. Right...okay...” He nods and stands himself back up, moving Clementine back into her standing position. Once she was in the correct stance, he kneels back down and points at the Antlion she attempted to hit, motioning to stay calm and try to target its head. Employing what she learned from both Gordon and Lee, Clementine takes a deep breath, focuses down the sights, and fires the SMG in short controlled bursts like she was told. She successfully hits the Antlion, at first enraging it and causing it to charge at the two, but as she attains more and more successful hits it slides to the ground and releases a small gurgle.

“I did it! I did it!” She shouts. Gordon would congratulate her with a silent cheer and a thumbs up, as he did once before. Once he stands himself up, Clementine looks up at him with a cheerful, ecstatic smile.

“So! When will I be able to learn how to use...uh...one of those?!” She points towards the AR2 Gordon held in his hands, and he immediately shakes his head.

“Aww...but why not?”

“Too heavy. Too advanced.” Gordon would write in the sand.

“...Alright…” She mutters, walking off to explore the rest of the ruined house, obviously disappointed that there would be no AR2 training.

 

After the training session, Gordon would reach the scope planted at the window of the cabin while Clementine went off to mess with an old tire swing, among other things. He would find that the Combine were watching New Little Odessa, watching patrol movements, body counts, and the likes. He also sees the mysterious G-Man speaking to another individual...whom Gordon assumed to be the possible leader of the outpost. Afterwards Gordon quicklys make it to the Jeep, Clementine quickly following behind him, and takes off towards New Little Odessa - the encampment seen in the scope. After driving through a squad of Combine camped just a ways away from New Little Odessa, the two would make it there to find the whole area empty, save for a single refugee standing near the pathway leading up to the highway.

“Gordon Freeman! Hurry, get to the basement! We’re expecting Gunships at any moment! Colonel Cubbage would be glad to see you two made it!” Nodding, he takes Clementine over towards the nearby house and into the basement, where he would see the same man from before giving a demonstration to two rebels and a Vortigaunt on the use of a Rocket Launcher.

“This steerable Rocket Launcher is our best bet for taking down a Gunship.” Odessa turns to his two guests, noting their presence within the basement.

“Ah, hello! I’ll be right with you!” He then turns back to the gathering before him and, taking this que as to join in, Gordon and Clementine would make their way over towards the small group, with Clementine sitting down next to the Vortigaunt.

“Now, where was I? Ah, yes...Using the laser guide, you can steer your rocket past the Gunship’s defenses and prevent it from shooting down your rocket. This will only anger it at first, but if you can survive long enough to make several direct hits, you’ll be rewarded with a prize worthy of any mantelpiece!” He slowly scans the room after he finishes his demonstration.

“Now! Who’s going to be the lucky one to carry it into combat?!” After a bit of an awkward silence, Odessa turns to Gordon.

“Ah yes! Gordon Freeman!” He holds the Rocket Launcher out to him. “I couldn’t ask for a finer volunteer!” Gordon would take the weapon in hand and studies it for a moment.

“Colonel Odessa Cubbage, at your service!” Before he could continue, an alarm sounds off across the entire base, and the distant drone of an unknown engine could be heard off the coast.

“GUNSHIP!” A Rebel yells as the noise grew louder and louder.

“Damn!” Odessa would shout in frustration. “Let me just send a warning to Lighthouse Point, then I’ll come right up to lend a hand! Go on! Teach that Gunship a lesson!” Before Gordon could even do anything Odessa runs off over towards the radio nearby while Clementine stood where she was, looking as if she was ready to run to the nearest form of cover. Gordon would reassure her from a distance, motioning to the Rocket Launcher he held in his hands, before he sprinted out of the basement and into the fray.

 

Clementine, meanwhile, would sit and listen to the fighting going on, half-tempted to sneak out of the basement to see it all, due to the fact that Odessa kept repeating the same message into the radio, obviously not even attempting to go out into the fight. Finally, as she gathered her courage, she quickly sneaks up to the upper floor of the main house while the fighting raged onwards. Sneaking up to a window, she would see something that changes her initial thoughts on this ‘Combine’ she kept hearing about and seeing everywhere.

Something of which she never though could br possible.

In the sky, a insectoid-like creature with a motorized propeller for a tail flys through the air, releasing roars and screeches that were unnatural for her to hear. Even then she couldn’t get a beat as to how it worked: It was a living creature, yet at the same time it looked like a machine, something that couldn’t even be sentient let alone something that can think and process what was occurring in front of it. She watched as Gordon fired rocket after rocket at the abomination of a creature, and sometimes it would shoot down those rockets with an impressive amount of accuracy. Other times they would break through these defences and damage the hull itself, causing it to roar out in pain. She watched as it flew through the air in an unnatural, yet strangely graceful state, gunning down stray Rebels that never managed to take cover. She was, for the most part, terrified of what it was capable of, and in turn made her realize just how dangerous and how terrifying the Combine really are.

Then she watched as Gordon landed the final blow onto the synthetic Gunship, with it giving the base a final roar of pain before it crashes into the side of the cliff, breaking apart into nothing but chunks of what used to be a fully-operational weapon. Once everything was over, Clementine slowly makes her way back down into the basement with this new-found knowledge, thinking over what else this place could throw at her.

She’d finally come back to her senses when Gordon waves a hand in front of her face, bringing her attention to the good doctor in front of her.

“Huh?” She asked, and Gordon would respond with a motion to follow him. She would do exactly just that, and once the two reach the jeep they make their way off down Highway 17 and on towards Lighthouse Point.

 

Eventually the two would make it to Bridge Point - which Odessa warned may have fallen under Combine Control. As soon as Gordon parked the Jeep next to the nearest Thumper, shots would ring out from the docks above them.

**< ::OVERWATCH, Sterilization Team has engaged with Helix Vector Tangos, confirmed visual on transport unit. Sending analysis to database now.::>**

**< ::Units 3 and 5 are moving in. Watch for Exogens, we are in an Infestation Zone.::>**

**< ::Copy.::>**

From below, Gordon and Clementine would quickly get into cover behind the jeep, with Gordon firing off shots from his AR2 while Clementine fired the SMG given to her earlier, using her experiences learned at the outpost to the best of her ability, even landing a few hits on some of the OTA units that rained Pulse Fire down on the two.

 **< ::Secondary Target is armed, Overwatch confirm updated status, designate target as: HELIX 2::>** Yells an OTA Soldier from his vo-coder, before he is dispatched by Gordon. As the two groups exchanged fire with one another, Clementine would notice the crane next to them and comes up with an idea. Once the area was somewhat clear, the two quickly make their way up onto the docks, where they would encounter another few squads waiting for them on the other side of Bridge Point. Quickly, Clementine runs over to the crane nearby, with Gordon unable to stop her due to the amount of gunfire focused on him. As she climbed into the control panel, several other units would target her position.

**< ::HELIX 2 targeted, maintain pressure between Helix Vector Tango and GHOST 2.::>**

Once she settled herself into the control seat if the crane, Clementine begins to push levers around in order to figure out how to operate the crane, while Gordon would fire upon the units across the dock. Soon she somehow manages to pick up the jeep, almost by accident, and as she attempts to try and drop it, she swings the crane over and into a the squad of OTA Units targeting the both of them.

 **< ::WATCH IT, ROGUE TRANSPORT!::> **Yells another OTA Soldier before the entire squad was sent flying into the various canisters that littered the whole dock. Once the soldiers were taken care of, Clementine would yell for Gordon from the crane as she messes with the controls.

“Gordon! How do I-” Before she can even finish her own question, she accidentally deactivates the magnet holding the Jeep as she was moving it, causing it to fall into a bridge that separates the two docks. Gordon, in turn, gives her a thumbs up in the distance.

“Uh...Ta-Dah?!” She proceeds to climb down from the crane and meets up with Gordon soon after, where he would proceed to chastise her for running off on her own.

“But I did help, didn’t I? Why would that be such a big issue?” Gordon then proceeds to point to the control panel at the top of the crane, motioning how she was an easy target for Combine forces to fire at.

“But you’re covered head to toe in orange!”

Gordon would raise a single finger to retort...then he pauses for a moment. After that brief pause, he retracts his finger, pauses again, then he walks off towards the Jeep in defeat, waving her statement off. Clementine giggles after this display, and proceeds to follow Gordon to the Jeep.

 

Once Gordon secured the warehouse of Bridge Point and opened the shutter leading out to the highway, He would quickly sprint back to the Jeep, where Clementine would be waiting for him. He flips the ignition, floors the gas pedal and swerved his way out of Bridge Point as several more Combine Soldiers rushed at him with guns blazing and grenades exploding. The two smash through the window of a decrepit building and make it onto the highway in front of them when a Gunship locks onto the both of them.

“Look out!” Clementine screamed, and the Gunship would begin to rain hell down onto the Jeep. She would keep her head down as the High Powered Pulse Rounds pounded the jeep and the road it was on, even as Gordon floored it over a broken section of the road. Once they were over, he would immediately slam on the brakes due to a roadblock just ahead of them. With that, he and Clementine quickly climb out of the car and into the graveyard of cars, all the while dodging gunfire from the Gunship that hounded them. Clementine herself would take cover in a nearby van, where upon she would find a crate of rockets sitting in the passenger seat.

“Gordon! Over here!” Gordon would turn to where Clementine called out for him, spotting the crate as well. He soon sprints over towards the ammo cache as the Gunship let off another few bursts of fire, hitting ruined cars and the van that Clementine in.

“AH! Gordon! Hurry!” She screamed, as another few Pulse Rounds penetrated the rusted hull of the Van. She would watch as Gordon threw the lid of the crate open, grabbing what ammo he could hold, and proceeding to fire at the Gunship. Just like before, she would watch as the alien contraption roared and fired at Gordon, while the silent Doctor himself returned fire with his Rocket Launcher, occasionally taking cover when stray dark matter rounds managed to penetrate the Van’s hull. Soon, she would watch as the final rocket made contact with the Gunship, and continued to watch as it crashed into the open ocean - or at least what was left of it, anyways. Once the fighting was over, she climbs out of the Van and dusts her dress off.

“...Maybe when we get to this camp, you should teach me how to fire that…” She mentions, to which Gordon responds with a raised eyebrow, almost as if he was questioning her statement.

“What? If you won’t teach me how to fire a rifle, at least teach me how to use something that can blow up a Walker…” silently sighing, he motions something along the lines of “Perhaps Later.” Before he pushes the wrecked cars out of the way with the Gravity Gun. Once the path was cleared, the two climb back into the Jeep, and continue on their pathway to Nova Prospekt…


	7. Side Chapter: Fall of Bridge Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Clementine and Gordon were still making their way out of Ravenholm, a few Rebels come under fire themselves...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is more along the lines of 'what really happened over at Bridge Point'. I may make some more of these side stories IF it comes down to it, but as of right not this would be to set up a few...well...eh I won't spoil it, but you'll know when you see it!

 

Side Story: The Fall of Bridge Point

 

Hours before Gordon and Clementine even made it to Shorepoint, several Resistance Members would be finishing up their duties at Bridge Point. All would be peaceful as they stocked up on what supplies they had left, while some went to maintain the vehicles they had stored in the warehouse. Elsewhere, a single rebel would speak into a large radio setup.

“Shorepoint, this is Rico Valdez of Bridge Point, come in please.” After a bit of static, another voice would respond.

“This is Shore Point, Leon speaking, what do ya need, Bridge Point?”

“I've been getting reports that the Combine are starting to move into the area. We already had to deal with a patrol coming in near N.L.O. Can you give us a SITREP?”

“Well, what else can I say? Combine are starting to get antsy ever since Black Mesa East went down and out. No doubt we can exp-” Suddenly, a door is heard being slammed shut in the background.

“We've been spotted! Combine patrols are moving in, we gotta get outta here!” Yells a voice in the background. Rico would readjust himself as he speaks into the radio again.

“Shorepoint, what's going on? Can you report?”

“It's a raid!” Leon would shout onto the radio. “We got soldiers swarming in the railway system, they're making a move on us now!” Several faint gunshots could be heard as Leon pauses.

“Listen, whatever is going on, it's no doubt gonna be co-ordinated! Get your people outta there, damnit, and get a signal out towards the other stations!” Soon afterwards Leon cuts into Static, and Rico would adjust the dial on the radio.

“Shorepoint, do you read? Shorepoint, do you copy?” After another sustained amount of radio silence, Rico would let out a silent curse. He then pulls out his own radio.

“Nigel, you read me?”

“Loud and clear!” Yells an Australian accent on the other side.

“Listen, I just got done talking to Shorepoint, they just went down and out. Combine are targeting the outpost, and I got a feeling they're gonna hit the others on the coast road soon enough.”

“Well piss…” mutters Nigel. “Should I round up the others, get ready to move out?”

“Not just yet. I'm gonna send out a message to-” Rico would be cut off by another voice, this one sounding older than Rico and Nigel.

“Uh, Guys...we got something coming in from the coast.” After a bit of silence, a southern accent pierces the radio waves.

“Shit! We got Dropships moving in! It's a goddamn raid!”

“How many?!” Yells Rico

“Four...Five...Six of them! They got a full army coming in!”

“Great...Nigel! Get the cars ready, get EVERYONE ready to move out!”

“On it!” Yells Nigel

“The rest of you get to your positions, raise the bridge, we need to defend the warehouse while Nigel rallies everyone up! Let's move!” Quickly, Rico would rush to the armory as Rebels ran left and right to prepare for the incoming attack. He would rush in, passing by a woman with long brown hair and a damaged eye, who quickly catches up with him.

“Rico! What the hell is going on?!”

“We got Dropships coming in from the coast, Ann, a whole god damn platoon of Soldiers.”

“Shit.” she mutters, grabbing a Pre-War AK-47 from the rack. “So what's the plan, then? Hold out until we can get the hell out of here?”

“That's part of it.” says Rico as he grabs a Pre-War M4, slamming a magazine into the lower receiver. “The other part is making sure they don't kill all of us.”

“Works for me, I guess. Just hope _Zeke_ doesn't take his sweet time mobilizing the party out.”

 

After a frantic scramble to prepare for the oncoming envoy of Dropships, Rico would ready his rifle towards the shoreline, taking his radio into his free hand to speak into it.

“Alright people, be ready for anything. For all we know they could try and take the bridge first before they move towards the warehouse” says Rico. Besides the drone of the Dropships’ engines growing louder and louder as time went in, there would be an unsettling sense of tension building up on the docks.

 

Then the Dropships began landing in front of the warehouse.

 

**< ::OVERWATCH, Sector is not secure, multiple hostiles have been engaged, Sterilization is in progress.::>**

 

The fighting in itself was brutal, as Combine Forces began to inch their way closer and closer to the warehouse. Rebels would attempt to push back time and time again, but they would only be met with suppressive fire. Those that stayed near the crane would witness two more Dropships land on the docks, and any that attempted to take down the two full squads that made their way towards the crane would be dispatched with efficiency. With the Crane falling under Combine Control, Rico would motion everyone to fall back to the warehouse, whereas he would pull out his radio in order to communicate with the others.

“Nigel! You best tell me those transports are ready to move out!”

“Aye all I need is one more car! I already got a good amount of people in the other two, just give me a minute or two!”

“We don't have another minute!” Rico yells into the radio. “Combine have taken the Crane and the bridge, they'll be getting into the warehouse soon enough!”

“I said just gimme another minute, mate! I nearly got this one ready to move!”

“Hurry it up!” He yells again, switching back to his Pre-War M4 in order to lay down some suppressive fire on the advancing OTA Soldiers.

 

As the fighting moved into the warehouse, a few of the Rebels would take cover near a large container.

“They got us pinned here!” Yells a rebel with a southern accent. He looks to an older-looking African-American man next to him, yelling “Got any goddamn idea how we're gonna get outta this one?!”

“Give me a minute!” He yells

“What, so you’ll take your sweet time like the Aussie?!” a nearby explosion causes the two to flinch, and in turn shuts the men up. A third rebel would reload her SMG in the process.

“Well I'm sure as shit not staying around to get blown to piece by a bunch of Combine! Are we gonna get outta here or what?!”

“Oh yeah, Missy?!” Yells the southern man. “And how the hell do you suppose that you'll get past that LITERAL FIRING LINE in front of us?!”

“I...oh for the love of-”

“That's what I thought! You wanna run into that gunfire, Carley, be my fucking guest!”

“That's enough! Both of ya!” Yells the second man. “We're getting nowhere with this! Just cover whoever’s nearby, got it?!”

“If that's the best we can do, then we're pretty screwed, huh?!” Yells the southern man, and he proceeds to fire his AR2 from behind cover.

“Don't even start, Ken!” Yells the other man.

 

As time wore on and the Rebels began to suffer more and more casualties, Rico digs into cover and pulls out his radio.

“Nigel! Where are you, we are losing people here!” Suddenly, three transports would skit near the side exit of the warehouse.

“Right here!” He yells from the second transport. “Everyone get your asses in, we’re moving out!!!”

“Finally!” Yells the southern rebel. “Lets fucking go! Move it!”

“I got ya covered!” Yells the woman, who proceeds to fire from her own piece of cover. Quickly the two men, along with any other surviving rebels, would climb into the three transports, with Rico being the last to get on. The woman, however, wouldn’t be so lucky: As she made a mad dash for the first transport, she would take a pulse rifle to the leg.

“AH SHIT!” she yells, tumbling down to the ground as the Combine quickly advanced on her position.

“Damn it, we got another down!” Rico yells, quickly climbing out to aid the wounded rebel. Nigel would stick his head out of the second transport in order to hail Rico down, but he would be interrupted by more pulse fire; Several other Combine had made their way around the back of the Warehouse, and begun flanking the transports just outside.

“Rico, we don’t got time! They’re gonna be surrounding our asses soon enough!”

“Just give me a damn second!”

“Says the mate telling me I don’t even have a minute to get the jeeps here!” He then proceeds to provide covering fire for Rico as he grabs the wounded rebel, dragging her back to the first transport. Once he secures her and himself inside, he pounds the side of the jeep

“Alright, we’re good! Go, go, go!”

Just like that, they would speed out towards the bridge that led to Lighthouse Point, with Combine Soldiers hot on their trail.

**< ::OVERWATCH, Malcontents are High Speed, requesting Ground Reinforcements at designated coordinates.::>**

**< ::Sector is secure, Malcontents expunged from location but are High Speed.::> **Shouts another OTA Soldier. Quickly they would begin to reposition themselves as the transports made it to the bridge, with one readying a Overwatch Standard Issue Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher (OSIRPG)

**< ::Extractor Launcher is ready. On mark: 3...2...1…::>**

As the third transport was just about to cross the bridge, a rocket would hit the weakest point of the bridge - the mid-section - causing it to collapse and nearly bringing the third transport with it. Luckily, it would manage to make it just in time, escaping with the other transports towards the nearest Resistance Outpost.

 

After the survivors made it out of Bridge Point, Rico would sit back in the back seat, sighing. He then pulls out his own radio once again, setting it to his more public frequency.

"Alright, is everyone good?"

"I'm good!" Nigel would yell in the radio. "Ann's in the third jeep with...some minor wounds, but she's doing alright. Lucy's doing good, and for a bit of good news: we got Sandy and Lazlow expecting us at Lighthouse Point."

"Good. Keep an eye out for any APCs, or god forbid any Gunships. Don't think we're outta the woods yet."

"Hopefully we'll make it with little to no hitches in the road." Nigel responds. "Don't go worrying about it too much, Rico. We'll be good. Been though worse shit than before, right?"

"Whatever ya say, Nigel. Out." Rico would then switch off the radio, and sits back into the seat.

“Well, great…”

“Oh, what is it now?” Asks the southerner.

“Well, besides the fact that we lost some good people, an entire base, and the fact that the Combine are mobilizing on the Coast Road?”

“God damn…” Says the man next to the southerner. After another bit of silence, the woman nearest to Rico sits herself up

“Shit...uh...thanks for helping me out there…”

“No problem.” Says Rico. “No man left behind, as they say.”

“Damn straight…” says the driver.

“Ya know…” Rico pauses for a moment. “I don’t think we ever got your names. You all came from NLO before the raid, right? You got names?”

“Yeah.” Says the man, sighing a bit. “Though now it looks like we won’t even get on back to NLO, seeing how the situation is going to hell.”

“And your names?” Asks Rico again.

 

_“Lee. Man with the southern accent is Kenny.”_

_“And yours is...?” Rico would ask the woman._

_“It’s Carley. And thanks for the help back there.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise Surprise, eh? It may not make the BEST of sense as of right now, but I already have stuff ready to expand as to why these three characters are here. I won't release the juicy details as of yet, but all will make sense in the chapters ahead.
> 
> Thanks for reading, stay tuned for the next addition!


	8. Chapter 5: Route to Nova Prospekt - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PART 2 of the Route to Nova Prospekt.
> 
> After dealing with the Gunship that had ambushed the both of them, Clementine and Gordon continue on their way to their next destination: Lighthouse Point

Chapter 5: Route to Nova Prospekt - Part 2

 

After what seemed like hours of driving, dodging ambushes, dealing with Rollermines and even obtaining a new weapon, Gordon and Clementine would come across an outpost next what seemed to be a railway bridge, presumably leading from Nova Prospekt. They would also manage to see a Dropship flying away from the coastal outpost, now knowing that the Combine would be waiting for them ahead. Gordon motions for her to be ready once they reach a suitable spot.

“Okay…” She says with a nervous tone. “I-I’m ready.”

Once they reach the outpost, Gordon quickly motions her to run into a building closest to their left, to which she does so with speed.

**< ::Outbreak! Primary Target engaged!::>**

**< ::All units move in to prosecute and secure, maintain this sector.::>**

A full squad of OTA soldiers move out from their positions and begin to fire at both Gordon and Clementine as they reached the building. Once he made sure the girl was in a relatively safe amount of cover, he fires his own OSIPR from out a nearby window, spraying plasma rounds out onto the field. As soon as he begins to reload, the soldiers quickly move in on his position, whereas he pulls out his own MP7 and, using the _grenade launcher_ underneath the main barrel, kills off three of the four soldiers. The last soldier would surprise Gordon, who takes a few OSPIR rounds into his side.

_ <Warning! Blood loss detected, vital signs are dropping!> _

Clementine, having been hidden behind a dresser within the building, freezes up as she watches Gordon fall to the ground, which eventually gives her position away to the remaining OTA unit.

**< ::Target 1 is down, Confirmed contact with Target 2, moving in to sedat-::>**

_The soldier is soon cut off by a hissing noise emitting from Gordon's HEV suit, and the doctor's eyes quickly shoot open in a frenzied glare._

_ <Morphine administered. Adrenaline administered.> _

Quickly, Gordon springs into action with his crowbar held tightly in his hand, sending it into the Combine Soldier’s mask plate. It recoils in pain, releasing a small grunt as Gordon quickly overwhelms it with brutal efficiency, smashing the crowbar into various parts of its body; from its arms to the neck, head, chestplate, and even its legs once the soldier fell to the ground, nothing was left untouched by the enraged scientist. Unable to defend itself from the speed and ferocity of these attacks, the soldier was quickly dispatched by several swipes to the head, the lenses on its gas mask shattering and his actual mask denting profusely, leaving nothing but a damaged husk of a former human being.

Once the soldier was no longer moving (let alone even twitching), Gordon takes a bit of a breather, the adrenaline finally wearing off of him once the situation had ended. Clementine, on the other hand, slowly makes her way over to the now-exhausted Gordon...that is, until his HEV suit releases another warning.

_ <Warning! Reactive Armor compromised. Blood Loss detected! Insufficient medical supplies to repair damage! Seek medical attention!> _

Slowly, Gordon sits himself down, looking at the damage sustained to his HEV suit; Two Dark Matter Pulse Rounds had entered into his right thigh, with the second one having caused more damage than the first. Blood oozed from the wound on his upper thigh, and while he keeps pressure on the pulse-burn, it still caused him a moderate amount of pain. Noticing this, Clementine begins to panic slightly, having no clear idea as to how to treat her friend.

“Y-you're injured...w-where do we keep the medicine?”

Gordon would point down towards the tactical pouch kept on the backside of the dead soldier's person. Quickly, Clementine rushes over to the body, unzipping the pouch and digging through its contents to reveal a small vial of green medical gel, and an extra OSPIR clip.

“O-okay...now what? What do I do?” She asks in a worried manner, to which Gordon responds by holding his hand out to her. Taking this as him wanting the vial, Clementine does exactly as 'told', and steps back a bit as he stuffs it into a secondary compartment within his HEV suit.

_ <Medical supplies detected. Automatic Medical Systems engaged.> _

After a short amount of time and a bit of a pained reaction, the HEV suit would beep twice.

_ <Medical Damage repaired. Have a very safe day.> _

Gordon slowly stands himself up and groans silently, holding his now-repaired thigh. The wound itself was completely healed, the only reminder of the damage prior being scar tissue that covered the pulse-burn inflicted on him.

“...So...you’re better now, right?” Clementine asked, to which he responds with a thumbs up.

“Alright...good…”

Afterwards, the two would make their way to the wooden outlook of sorts, where they would be able to see the railway bridge clear as day. The fog obscured a majority of it ahead, but it gave a clear picture of what had to be done. On top of the bridge was a Combine Force Field that blocked the path forward, followed by a large train making its rounds towards City 17. Gordon would note that a wire leading from the Force Field would trail off towards the other side of the bridge. Clementine then walks forward a bit, looking at the condition of the bridge itself.

“...Are we going to have to cross that?” She asks. “It looks very...rickety…”

Gordon would nod, but then he points to her, then to the house with its windows boarded up windows. At first she thought he was only mentioning the house...then she realized he was telling her to stay put.

“...You want me to stay? Why? Wouldn’t I be a better help if I came with you?”

Gordon shakes his head, motioning that there could be more Combine waiting for them, and she would be a very easy target to pick off due to what little cover there was and the fact that she barely had anything to protect herself from pulse rounds. He then motions that, unlike her, his suit can protect him from grievous wounds should anything happen.

“But you were bleeding not too long ago…” Gordon then motions that the bullet, while it did penetrate a soft-spot in the armor, was not as bad as if he hadn’t worn it, and that if she was shot by a pulse round it would be worse than what he dealt with. He then motions if she understands what he just told her, to which she responds with a silent nod. With a nod of his own, Gordon would walk over to the house and slowly opens the door leading inside.

The inside of the house was an unremarkable centerpiece, with trash strewn all across the floor and the windows flimsy boarded up with old wooden boards, as if someone only had a little bit of time to set up defenses. The stairs leading up to the second floor were broke at the base, and there was something moving about above him. Gordon, readying a Rebel-made crossbow, climbs up onto what was left of the stairway and makes his way up, looking to see what was inside.

In what must have been the bedroom, a lone Poison Zombie shambled from one part of the room to the other, unaware of Gordon’s presence as it searched for a potential meal to consume. Carefully, he makes his way up onto the second floor, sneaks his way into the doorway of the bedroom, and takes aim at the zombie. Once he fires the crossbow ‘bolt’, it sink half-way into the primary Black Headcrab controlling the corpse, killing it immediately. Those that were attached to the body would quickly be dispatched by Gordon and his crowbar, ensuring that none of them were able to escape. After a brief moment of silence, he hears Clementine yell from the first floor.

“Is it safe?! I saw a monster up there...is it...did you get it?!”

After making sure the zombie and its accompanying headcrabs were thoroughly deceased, Gordon make his way down to the first floor with the bloated, half-rotten body, where Clementine would be waiting by the doorway. Throwing the corpse out onto the sandy ground outside, He gives her the okay to head inside, then he motions for her to stay in the house.

“Okay...but what if those bad people find me? Those soldiers…with the scary masks...”

Gordon hesitates for a moment, knowing that there wasn’t a good hiding spot up in the second floor. After a bit of thinking, all Gordon could motion was to hide in the bedroom, and if they were to find her she would have to use what she had to defend herself.

“...I don’t know about this…” Clementine mutters, and even he begins to agree with her.

“...What if things end up like what happened...in Ravenholm? What if they find me?”

After a brief pause - in order to give himself a bit of time to think on this question - Gordon would motion for her to not fire until she’s absolutely sure she can hit them, primarily in the head. He then hands her his Colt Python from Ravenholm, stating that if things get really bad to use this. She nods quietly, letting out a nervous sigh as she held the heavy revolver in her hands.

“Okay. I...I think I can do this.” She says, with a bit of confidence to back up her statement.

Gordon gives her a small smile in response to her own statement, as if to tell her silently that everything will be just fine. He then stands himself up, reloading his various weapons before walking down the broken stairs and out into the open. Quickly, Clementine would run to one of the boarded-windows, watching as Gordon made his way down to the ridge way leading into the lower section of the bridge. She watched as he carefully climbed over what remained of the catwalks on the bridge, balancing himself on the support structures that held the bridge together, and firing at various Barnacles that dotted his path forward. She continued to watch Gordon until he disappeared into the fog, and before long she begins to explore her environment, in order to keep her mind off of the worse-case scenario.

Searching up and down the entirety of the house wouldn't reveal much to her, besides the spare crossbow that lied on the second floor, little bits of canned food, ammo for various weapons, and an actual bed to sleep on. In fact, she taked her time to actually move the mattress back onto the metal frame, using what strength she could gather to move it to a corner of the room that would keep the bed out of the view of any nearby window, should the worse-case scenario occur. Then, as an added precaution, she climbed back down the stairs and places whatever she could move in front of the entrance, effectively barring the front door from conventional use.

After all that was done and all of her energy was spent, she would proceed to climb back up the broken set of stairs and into the old bedroom, sitting herself down on the somewhat dirty mattress that she had moved earlier. Eventually, she would lie herself down, lets out a small yawn in the process, and begins to think back on all that had happened so far.

She begins to consider her situation stranger and stranger the longer she stays, but then she thinks a little more on what she found herself in...especially on the Combine that were targeting both her and her friend Gordon. The first time she saw them back near Ravenholm, she felt terrified of them. And who wouldn’t; Their grey-cladded suits, their cold, unfeeling eye-pieces, the fact that their voices had no human tone to them and their actions and expressions almost as robotic and unfeeling as the equipment they had on them. All of these factors accumulated into something that she was scared of as much as the Walkers back in Savannah.

She was afraid of what they were capable of.

Before leaving Lee behind, he told her that she was smart kid, and that she could outsmart Walkers if she ever found herself in a tight spot. This was indeed the case, as the undead were slow, and had little to no intelligence other than their responses to noises and smells. Even then when she realized that not everyone wanted to help her like Lee did, they could be outsmarted and outmaneuvered.

The Combine, on the other hand, were something completely different.

Even the Antlions that had hunted both her and Gordon down earlier were no match to something like a jeep, and they had the simplistic tactics of just charging at them.

The Combine on the other hand were tactical thinkers; They would be able to outsmart her at every turn, as they wouldn't stop hunting them down like bandits or Antlions or Walkers. They were inhuman in every sense of the word, not unlike the walking dead that hounded her, but more in the sense of what they consisted of. From their robotic voices and calculated movements, to the way they spoke and the gear they carried, she began to understand just how terrifying this 'Overwatch' was, and it terrified her that they could easily work with these monsters and machines that chased both her and Gordon to where they are now.

She thought long and hard on just what she got herself into and what the Combine really were...and then her thoughts turned towards more optimistic matters, especially to her now-new-found guardian, Gordon. For a moment she almost considered him as a second Lee, even though he could never truly be replaced by the Theoretical Physicist. His advice alone offered her more survivability than ever before, even causing her to change her own thought-process on situations presented to her...to a degree.

Her mind then shifts back and forth to various other things, like Headcrabs and Walkers, Humans and Vortigaunts, Aliens and Savannah, all of these thoughts and ideas would swirl around in her head until fatigue began to get the best of her. The last thought that sprung forth as she slowly fell asleep was the chance that she may never see Christa, Omid, Kenny or anyone else ever again. It pained her as she slipped away into a comfortable sleep, but it would soon be replaced by a subtle sense of excitement for who she may meet at the Vortigaunt Camp…

 

...Then they came…

 

Clementine woke up moments later to the sound of Dropships landing outside. A jolt of terror shot through her entire body as she quickly scrambled out of the old bed, grabbing the Colt Python and SMG that Gordon had left for her, and she saw them just outside of the old house.

Several Soldiers were quickly climbing out of a single Dropship, all adorned in their gray suits and gasmasks, some even adorning a maroon tint to their gear, but all of them had their weapons at the ready.

 

**< ::Overwatch, be advised, contact with Priority 1 Objective has been made at Outpost: DEFENDER 4 DASH 1, intake station surveillance. Units confirms no visual on HELIX 2 near infected zone, sweeping area for Secondary Target.::>**

**< ::Skyshields are in-bound towards DEFENDER 4 DASH 1, ETA 3 mikes. Overwatch reports Boomer support is inbound towards infection zone. ETA: 5 mikes.::>**

**< ::Copy. Designating Sterilization Team as: MACE 1 dash 5. Sweeping for HELIX 2, Initializing Code: INTERCEDE, PROBE, SEDATE.::>**

Clementine quickly grabs the crossbow that laid on the floor within the other room and runs back into the bedroom, hiding behind a set of walls and holding the Colt Python close to her. She could feel her heart pounding out of her chest as she heard the OTA Soldiers line up on the wall, their Vocoded voices being heard clear as day outside.

 **< ::Call Hotpoint!::> **One Soldier yells, and another would move in to place a small device on the door. It then lines up with the other four soldiers.

**< ::On Mark...3...2...1...INJECT.::>**

The Device explodes on the door, turning it into nothing but wooden shrapnel and blasting the makeshift barricade out of the way. Soon afterwards the OTA units move into the lower level of the building, sweeping the entirety of the first floor.

**< ::Sightline is clear, MACE 3 has negative movement::>**

**< ::Affirmative, MACE 5 reports sightlines clear.::>**

**< ::Copy that, Primary Level is Sterile. Secondary level remains to be sweeped. Ready weapons, report sightlines.::>**

**< ::Copy. MACE 2 is moving in::>**

Clementine’s breath became uneven and shaken as she heard the soldiers slowly climb up the stairs. As they all filed up onto the second floor and approached the entryway to the bedroom, she grips the Colt Python as tightly as possible. By the time she hears one of them reaching the door frame, she aims out from her corner and fires. The point-blank range of the shot manages to penetrate the OTA Soldier’s helmet and exits through the back of its skull, killing it instantly as blood splatter the walls in a deep crimson red. The others would react with reactionary suppressive fire, causing Clementine to shriek in fear, and causing her to instinctively duck back into cover.

**< ::Overwatch, Contact confirmed with HELIX 2, MACE 2 Deserviced, Containment proceeding::>**

**< ::Displace, move to secure Interpose.::>**

As the Soldiers began to surround the bedroom, Clementine quickly peaks out and fires a shot blindly at one of the soldiers. The bullet manages to penetrate its chest rig, but due to its placement alongside its gut, the wound itself wasn't fatal. The others once again lay down suppressive fire onto the bedroom, allowing the soldier to secure cover away from the entryway.

**< ::MACE 2 is injured, request medical!::>**

**< ::HELIX 2 is armed, Dislocate weapon and Sedate. Compromising target is a possible necessity.::>**

**< ::Copy. Call Hotpoint.::>**

Clementine quickly moves away from the entryway as the Soldiers ready themselves. She quickly crawls under the bed she was formally sleeping on, and takes aim with the MP7. The cover itself wouldn’t even protect her, but she saw it as her only option due to the scarcity of cover to begin with.

**< ::INJECT.::>**

The soldiers move in rapidly and unexpectedly, and Clementine fires at their legs in a panicked maner. She manages to hit one other Soldier, causing it to fall down before being finished off by her amateur-ish MP7 fire.

 **< ::Rip cord! Rip cord! Dislocate interpose!::>** The other soldier yells, and those that had entered would quickly back away, firing at the mattress. It barely stood a chance, and Clementine yelps as Pulse Rounds singe the walls around her and tear the mattress apart. One pulse round manages to catch her left leg, causing her to shriek in pain.

 **< ::Target compromised, move in, move in.::> **Another soldier yells. In a fit of panic, Clementine would reobtain her MP7, and when the soldiers move in again she wildly fires at them. These shots would miss a majority of their targets, save for one that manages to catch a Soldier in the left kneecap. it falls over, releasing a pained grunt, and thus causes the remaining three to disperse, with one managing to grab and drag it out from the bedroom.

**< ::Target threat level still remaining at Level 3. Ready Extractors.::>**

Quickly, Clementine climbs out from underneath what remained of the mattress, yelping in pain as she accidentally puts pressure on her wounded leg. Seeing as how the soldiers had surrounded the whole of the bedroom, she quickly limps over to one of the boarded windows, using the back of the crossbow to break the boards apart.

**< ::Extractors are live.::>**

She turns back to see two cylinders rolling into the bedroom, accompanied by a faint beeping that progressively got faster and faster as time went on. In a fit of panic, she quickly climbs out of the window, only to realize that there was only a drop down to what was a balcony. As she carefully begins to climb down, the grenades would explode, sending out a blast of air that sends Clementine tumbling down. She lands on her feet, sending a shockwave of pain throughout her entire left leg and causing her to fall forward onto her stomach. Meanwhile, the Soldiers would sweep the bedroom

**< ::No visual on HELIX 2. Report sightlines::>**

**< ::Sightlines clear. Target HELIX 2 blackout, sweep outdoor perimeter and primary level, fix sightlines.::>**

Clementine slowly stands herself up, this time careful as to not put any pressure on her wounded leg. She then limps her way towards the closest drop possible, climbing over and dropping down only a few feet, once again careful as to not land on her left leg. Once that was done, she quickly limps towards the maintenance compartment underneath the railway bridge, looking back to see the three soldiers spotting her.

**< ::Viscon vision, range thirty-five meters bearing twelve. Go active intercept.::>**

Clementine, having felt a spike of adrenaline hit her as soon as she made eye contact with the Combine Soldiers, would quickly aim the Crossbow she had grabbed earlier, and fires it without warning. The bolt would barely miss the Soldier, but it causes them to back away into cover.

**< ::Move in and intercept. Cover me.::>**

**< ::Copy that.::>**

Clementine would enter the room leading into one of the concrete bases of the bridge, slamming it shut and pushing a desk in front of it. Once she made sure the desk was firmly in place, she limps backwards to the opposite side of the room, listening closely as the Soldiers rappelled down to the cliff-side below.

**< ::Call Hotpoint.::>**

She shakily readies her Revolver up to the door, tears running down her cheeks as the Combine readied a breaching device on the door. Her breathing would become uneven as the pain in her wounded leg grew and the silence outside grew. Before they would breach, though, they hear the faint sound of gunfire down the bridgeway.

 

The squad turns to see a Gunship crashing into the sea, exploding on contact.

 

**< ::Overwatch, Airwatch support deserviced, possible hostiles inbound.::>**

**< ::Affirmative. Inject and Secure HELIX 2, engage Priority 1 if necessary.::>**

**< ::Ready weapons::>**

Clementine feels a sharp twang of fear pierce her chest when she hears their last command. And she had no idea where else to go. Going outside would leave her vulnerable to their attacks, staying would get her killed or worse, firing at the door would do no good, and Gordon was nowhere to be seen. She looked desperately for some sort of exit, some sort of alternative path, but all led to danger. As she hears them ready this device, she backs herself into the wall, tears blurring her vision as she aimed at the door, with one though sticking in her mind like glue.

They've outsmarted her.

**< ::5, **

**4,**

**3,**

**2,**

**1,**

**INJECT:: >**

The door would blast open at the end of the countdown, sending dust and shrapnel into the air. Clementine shrieks and fires down into the opening, but all that would amount to nothing as she spends all of her ammo, and the Soldiers rush in, disarming the scared girl and slamming her against the wall.

**< ::HELIX 2 secured. Pacifying, cover me.::>**

**< ::Copy. Readying Extractors.::> **

She watches as the Soldier presses its OSPIR into her right kneecap, causing her heart-rate to spike.

**< ::Rendering target immobile::>**

As it was about to pull the trigger, several explosions ring out just outside. Then the bullets begin to fly into the room, as one of the Soldiers is immediately dispatched.

**< ::Overwatch, engaging Priority 1 Target, Requesting reserve activation.::> **

The unit looks back at Clementine for a moment, as if it was considering the possibilities. Soon enough it lifts up the rifle, grabs her empty Colt Python, and sends a boot into her stomach, causing the girl to cry out in pain as the air was sucked out of her, and she was rendered immobile. She held her gut as the two soldiers moved into cover, firing at the unknown assailant that brought forth a hail of gunfire on their positions. Eventually, this assailant jumps into the room, revealing himself to be none other than Gordon Freeman armed with his OSIPR, and fires into the first soldier he sees. The pulse rounds penetrate its armored helmet, killing the augmented soldier immediately. In response, the remaining one would attempt to engage Gordon in melee combat. This would prove fruitless, unfortunately for the OTA unit, as Gordon was able to give himself enough room to fire the rifle into its chest rig, ending its life. As the dust finally settles, he spots Clementine lying on the ground, crying from both the wound in her left leg and now the pain that wracked her entire body. He quickly kneels down next to her and sits her upright, attempting to inspect her wounded leg before she begins to speak out.

"I-I tried to g-get away...they...they..."

Gordon quickly silences Clementine, knowing just how scared and how traumatized the little girl must be. Nevertheless, he still continues to check her leg, spotting the pulse wound she suffered.

The wound, located on the back of her leg, was burned around the entryway, and further inwards it seems the pulse round tore small amounts of muscle. It didn’t seem to make it far, though, perhaps due to some amount of cover she was hiding behind. At any rate, Gordon would pull out a medi-gel container, like the one Clementine had given him before. He puts a hand on her cheek, motioning to her that it may hurt like hell at first.

“J-Just hurry...please...it h-hurts...so much…!” He nods, and holds her leg down for a moment, breaks the glass container, and takes a small amount of it in hand. Soon enough, he quickly applies the gel onto her wound, and a sharp, almost unbearable pain would spread throughout her lower leg. She would squeal harshly in response to such a pain as he attempts to get a majority of the gel in and around the wound, whereas she would begin to see its effects first-hand. Through her tear-filled eyes, she would watch as the tissue and muscle slowly reconstructs itself, as if the gel was speeding up the healing process, as unbearable as the pain was for her. once it was all said and done, though, Gordon would look to see the damage completely repaired. The only thing left would be a scar that marked her leg where the wound once was.

“...N-...Never...again...please…please...” she cried out.

Gordon proceeds to hug her out of pity and remorse. Again, as he never truly had experience with kids, the hug in itself was awkward as can be, but she nevertheless hugs him as tightly as she could.

After the exchange, the two would make it back to the Jeep and drive off towards lighthouse point...but not before narrowly escaping a head-on collision with a Combine-operated train, with Gordon swerving behind an old decommissioned train as it sped past the two. Once it finally passes, the two then truly make their way to Lighthouse Point.

 

**< ::Non-Citizens Expunged, sector is sterile, no sign of active Biotics or Virome incursion. Ready to move to location: DUTY 3, Stand by for further orders.::>**

Three Combine Soldiers would be cleaning up what used to be a hideout for refugees, the smell of burnt flesh and ash permeated the air within the yard, and all that remained was the house itself. In the distance, though, a lone Jeep would make itself known to the three soldiers.

**< ::Overwatch be advised, unknown Transport is approaching hardpoint.::>**

**< ::Ready weapons, possible hostiles inbound.::> **Shouts another Combine Soldier. Soon enough the three would take cover behind the fencing of the house, loading up their AR2s and prepping grenades. As the Jeep got closer and closer, one soldier would motion the other two to flank it, once it parked.

Only issue was that it never slowed down in the first place.

It would crash through a bit of fencing, smashing one unsuspecting soldier that hid behind it and killing it instantly. The jeep would be none other than Gordon Freeman’s, with the good doctor himself at the wheel, and little Clementine riding shotgun.

**< ::CONTACT CONFIRMED, GHOST 2 AND HELIX 2 IN PERIMETER, PROSECUTING!::>**

The jeep swerved around the corner, faces the two Combine Soldiers as they fired, and proceeds to fire one down with the Tau Cannon. The other would be unfortunate enough to not dodge the jeep itself as Gordon rammed it into him.

And then there was nothing but silence.

As Gordon and Clementine got out of the Jeep, the would notice the burned bodies out by the front of the house.

“...Will we ever end up like those people?” Clementine asks, a hint of that oh-so-familiar sadness and despair coating her tone of voice. Gordon stays silent for a moment, before he shakes his head in a confident manner.

“...Are you sure?” Gordon nods again, before he proceeds to motion her back to the jeep, to which she actually complies. Once she sits herself back into the makeshift passenger seat, she watches as Gordon slowly makes his way around and into the abandoned house, unable to contain a yawn that escapes from her. The two of them have been travelling for who knows how long with barely any time to rest, as dealing with ambushes by Combine patrols, narrowly escaping danger on the railways, and the constant barrage of antlions kept them from stopping for even a bit. Not even since the trip to Savannah has she ever felt this tired. Slowly, she would begin to drift off again inside the jeep, her fatigue finally getting the best of her since the drive out from the coastal outpost.

That is, until she hears windows shattering and wood splintering on contact.

She would quickly sit herself up, the shock of the noise sending adrenalin through her veins. She then looks towards the house to see basketball-sized metallic balls - similar to the one she saw back at Black Mesa East - flying out at high speeds, before landing in the what was left of the sea nearest to the shore, exploding as soon as they were submerged. She quickly readies her MP7 until one last rollermine flies out over her head, landing into the sea and exploding on contact. She scoots over into the Driver’s seat, taking control of the TAU cannon that sat at the front of the Jeep, when she sees Gordon quickly backing out with a Rollermine caught in the Gravity Gun’s field. He quickly shoots it off towards the sea, watching it as it plunges into the murky waters, and soon afterwards he breathes a silent sigh of relief.

“Are you okay, Gordon?” Clementine asked quietly, whereas Gordon would turn to her and nods. He then motions to her leg, as if to ask if it was feeling better.

“Um...it still feels a little numb, but it doesn't hurt anymore.” She responds, following her answer up with a small yawn. She could see that he, too, was looking all around fatigued, as noted by his exhaustion after the encounter with the Rollermines and the constant drive to Lighthouse point. When he gets into the Jeep, Clementine turns to look at the tired Physicist.

“...Are we getting close? I'm so tired…” Gordon would respond with a “so-so” motion, to which Clementine responds with a disappointed expression.

“I really want to sleep on a comfy bed...I hope they have comfy beds there…” With a small smile, Gordon would reassure her that there would be a good place to sleep at the Vortigaunt Camp, which raises her spirits a little bit.

Once they depart from the coastal house, the two run into a Combine Encampment on the road ahead. A distant alarm goes off as they approached, and Gordon motions Clementine to keep her head down. He floors the gas pedal soon afterwards as the Combine open fire on the Jeep, activating roadblocks that wouldn't slow down the Jeep whatsoever. As the two drive off to safety, one OTA unit would get onto its radio.

**< ::Overwatch, Priority Target is inbound towards non-sterile zone in a two unit transport. Requesting Skyshield drops and Airwatch Support, Sterilization Team HAMMER is on stand-by.::>**

Eventually, the two would finally make it to Lighthouse Point, where upon they would be beckoned by a rebel just outside of a nearby garage.

“You’ve made it! We're picking up radio chatter. They're looking for your car. Hurry, get it into the garage!” With a small nod, Gordon would steer the Jeep into the garage. Once it was parked, he and Clementine would climb out and exit through a doorway into another garage, where the rebel would be waiting.

“Okay you two, you'll have to go on foot from here. There's a secret path along the cliffside, but no one’s going anywhere until we fight off this attack.”

“An attack?” Clementine asks, now looking slightly nervous.

“Yeah. Combine are moving in as we speak, but having Doctor Freeman here is gonna make a big difference for morale!” The rebel says in an enthusiastic manner...then he looks past the two for a moment.

“Ah, crap, here comes the Dropships!”

Gordon and Clementine turn around to see four to five Dropships in the distance, all of them heading straight for Lighthouse Point. Rebels would begin to scatter and take cover as the tell-tale drone of a Dropship engine got louder and louder. One rebel, a Female Medic, runs up to Gordon and Clementine with her SMG in hand.

“Doctor Freeman! Here, I'll take the girl to the lighthouse, she'll be safer there!”

Clementine hesitates for a moment, looking up to Gordon as if she was wondering if it was a good idea. Gordon, of course, would respond by motioning her to follow the Medic.

“Don’t worry, It’ll be all good!” The Medic shouts, and Clementine nods, She looks back at Gordon for a moment.

“Be careful!” Clementine shouts, before she follows the medic towards the Lighthouse as the Dropships make their approach, with the both of them making it to the basement. Aboveground, Gordon and a few Rebels take up defensive positions as the Combine make landfall.

**< ::Overwatch, Sterilization Teams HAMMER, KING, STRIKER and DAGGER deployed and engaged in clean-up operation. Primary Target GHOST 2 engaged. Go sharp, keep pressure on Non-Citizens.::>**

The two forces engage in a bloody firefight. Both sides would take large amounts of casualties as Gordon fought tooth and nail with the Rebels, while the Overwatch Transhuman Armament attempted to breach their defences. Clementine would watch as one wounded rebel backs up into the Lighthouse.

“Shit! There’s a whole lot of them! They’re really hi-” Several pulse rounds penetrate his chest rig, and he backs into the railing, falling into the basement below without a sound.

“Oh god!” The medic yells, and she rushes towards the rebel. Clementine backs away from the two, witnessing now the horrors of combat. It wasn’t the first time she saw someone shot to death, but something of this caliber was quite unimaginable for her. She looked upwards and saw the gunfire zipping through the air, as Gordon rushed back and forth with a shotgun in hand and crowbar at his side. As the gunfire slowly began to die down, she heard a Gunship making its way towards the base. Another rebel would run towards the entryway, screaming to take cover before he was torn to bits by the synth’s high-powered pulse gun. As the Medic tended to the dying rebel, Clementine would hear another one yelling something relating to a crate on the top floor. Soon after she sees Gordon sprint up the stairs, and she follows suit.

“Hey! Hold on a sec!” The medic yells, but it would be too late. By the time Clementine got up to the top, she would see Gordon firing rocket after rocket at the gunship, both of which were shot down. Thinking quickly, she would open the container holding a large amount of rockets, grabs one, and runs up to Gordon.

“Gordon! Here!” She yells, handing him the orange-tipped projectile. He takes it in hand and, eventually, she would begin to ferry ammo up to him from the crate, occasionally ducking down as High-Powered Pulse Rounds ripped through the lighthouse. Once she hands him the final rocket, Gordon would fire at the monstrosity attempting to gun the both of them down, landing a direct hit on its main propeller. This final blow causes it to fly backwards as it was enveloped in explosions. It soon begins to fly towards the lighthouse, and noting this, Gordon would quickly grab Clementine and sprints down the stairs. It smashes into the top of the lighthouse, taking whatever remained above with it before it falls into the sea. Afterwards, Gordon would stand himself up, helping Clementine up as well. Soon afterwards he checks her to see if she had any other bruises or scratches.

“I-I’m okay…” She responds. “...Thank you...for getting us both out…” Before Gordon could respond, a male Rebel would approach the two on the stairs, letting out a small sigh of relief.

“This way, Doctor Freeman, little girl! We’ll take the cliff path, before another gunship finds us!” Quickly, he leads the two down into the basement again, where he would activate a hidden datapad that would, in turn, open a hidden door.

“Right along there...and...watch your step…” After a moment of hesitation, Clementine would stand next to Gordon, looking outside to see just how far down the cliff face went.

“...I’m gonna have to be carried over these ledges, huh…?” She asks nervously, to which Gordon responds with a silent nod.

“Okay...just don’t let go.” With a confident thumbs up, he picks up Clementine piggy-back style and proceeds to walk out onto the pathway leading towards who knows where.

 

The fighting would rage on above the two as Gordon jumped from ledge to ledge, making sure that he didn’t fall off of the cliff with Clementine. Suddenly, Clementine would look out towards the sea to see a Dropship carrying away the jeep.

“Look! The car!” she shouts, and the two would watch as it flew the jeep away towards what may presumably be Nova Prospekt. Sighing silently, Gordon would continue to press onwards with Clementine on his back until they reached a small cave leading out towards more stable ground. Once he sets her down, the two would begin to walk towards what seemed to be a large sand bar, with Clementine holding onto Gordon’s hand as they walked. Soon enough they would hear a voice in the distance - a rebel, from the sounds of it.

“Hold still, Lazlow...someone’s coming.”

Eventually the two come across two refugees - one looking to be injured on the sand, while the other attempts to try and get him off. Clementine, noticing the wounded man, would let go of Gordon’s hand and walks ahead of him.

“U-Um...Excuse me! Do yo-”

“You there! Stop where you are-Stay on the rocks!” Clementine would freeze in place as soon as she hears those words, having nearly stepped in the sand herself, and soon enough Gordon would come running.

“Don’t step in the sand, it makes the Antlions crazy!”

“W-what about your friend!? Shouldn’t we help?!” Clementine shouts, before she looks over to Gordon.

“Shouldn’t we help them?! He’s in trouble!” Before Gordon could answer, he sees the injured man - Lazlow - attempting to sit upright.

“Lazlow, don’t move!” Too late. By the time he sits himself up, the sand would begin to shake all around him.

“Oh no...HELP!” Suddenly, Antlions burst out from underneath the sand, tearing Lazlow apart in mere minutes.

“NO!” Screams Clementine, backing away as Gordon and the surviving refugee fired upon the frenzied Antlions. Once they were dispatched, the rebel kneels down next to the body of Lazlow.

“Dear God...poor Lazlow! The finest mind of his generation! To come to such an end…” Clementine hides behind Gordon, once again feeling like things were getting worse before the end of the day. In an attempt to ease the situation a bit, the little girl begins to ask the refugee a single question.

“Wh...Where were you two going…?”

“We were heading to the Vortigaunt Camp, hoping to pick up some Bug-bait so these damn things would leave us alone...but without Lazlow...what’s the point…” Clementine looks down a bit, feeling that it was partially her fault that Lazlow had died as his despair irradiated from his person. Noticing this, Gordon would attempt to comfort her in the best way he could: By simply placing a hand on her shoulder, just like in Ravenholm.

“I know you two tried to help.” Says the refugee. “I’ll stay with him for a while...there’s something I have to do…”

“...But…” Clementine began to say, before she’s hushed by Gordon.

“Go ahead...I hope you two have better luck than we had…” Taking this as his cue to leave, Gordon motions Clementine to follow closely as they begun their journey to the Vortigaunt Camp. They would then stop to hear the refugee’s last piece of advice.

“ _Remember to stay off the sand! The Antlions are edgy right now!”_

 

The two would jump from rock to rock, careful not to fall into the sand. Clementine would ruminate on the refugee’s words for a moment, before she finally speaks out.

“So...this is almost like ‘The Floor is Lava’...except it actually is almost like lava, right?” Gordon wanted to write in the sand in order to give her a better answer than ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but knowing how tense the antlions are, he didn’t want to risk it. So , he gives her that simple answer of a single nod.

“Oh…” After a brief pause in order to focus on landing safely on the rocks, Clementine would finish with “I wish you could talk a little more, Gordon…” To which Gordon responds with a simple shrug, as if to say “Can’t control everything.”

As the rocks became more and more sparse, and the junk becoming more of a viable option to use, Gordon would begin to use the Gravity Gun to position wooden planks and pieces of sheet metal for the both of them to climb over safely. It wouldn't be long before they reach a large open area filled with debris, and nothing but sand, various rock outcroppings, and ruined houses. Clementine would look around for a moment, before she sees where the two need to go: the opposite side of the sandy field.

“Okay...I think I can see where we should go…” says Clementine. “Should...should we just build a bridge somehow? There's not a lot of places for me to jump to…”

Gordon thinks on the question for a bit, surveying just how much debris there was for them to actually use. Seeing as how there wasn't a whole lot, he would take his Gravity Gun and starts attracting various objects towards the island they stood on. Once there was a good amount piled up below them, he picks Clementine up and carefully slides down onto the makeshift pile. Soon afterwards he would begin to make a rickety makeshift pathway, using whatever he could gather. From boxes to bikes, pieces of metal, barrels, large rocks and whatever else he could gather around them. It would be tricky for both of them to maneuver over, due to how unstable some of these objects were. Gordon continues to make a _hopscotch from hell_ with the help of Clementine, all the way up to when they reach a thumper out near the Cliffside they were supposed to reach. Activating it would be of little effect, since no Antlion would respond to the massive vibrations produced by the thumper, but nonetheless the two would make it to where they needed to be.

Across a large pit of sand, the two could barely make out fortifications to the left, leading into a valley that was obscured by the hills between them. Before Clementine even had a chance to climb down, Gordon would stop her, motioning that he will be the one to go first.

“...Alright, just...don't leave me up here, alright?” Gordon nods, and he proceeds to climb down to the ground.

He would later regret this decision. Horribly.

As soon as he makes contact with the sand, a giant insect rises up from the ground, roaring and growling at the intruder. Accompanying it would be three Antlions, all of whom follow this large “Antlion Guard,” which proceeds to charge directly at Gordon. He quickly moves out of the way and it smashes itself into the rocks, stunning it for a time. All the while Gordon would unload everything he had on it, from his AR2 to his MP7, Grenades, Propelled Grenades and even his RPG at one point. Clementine would watch in fear as he battled the monsterous Antlion, which would shrug off the explosives like they were nothing. At one point Gordon would run out of MP7, to which Clementine would respond by grabbing her own MP7.

“Gordon! Here!” Gordon would quickly turn to see Clementine toss him her MP7, which he catches almost immediately as the Antlion Guard charged at him. Soon enough he runs out of ammo for the second MP7 as well, and resorts to launching explosive barrels at it with his Gravity Gun. By the time he launches his third barrel, the Guard would begin to slow down due to its injuries, as blood began to leak from it's orifices and it's hardened chitin. As Gordon picks up yet another explosive barrel, the Guard charged directly into him, sending him flying into the Cliffside opposite of him. _< Warning! Major fractures detected!>_

Coughing a bit, he stands himself up only to see the Guard charging towards him again.

“Gordon!” Clementine yells from atop the Cliff, watching as Gordon narrowly dodges the Guard. It smashes into the rocks once again, disorientating it slightly due to the wounds it's suffered, and thus gives Gordon the chance to land the killing blow. He takes a hold of his Gravity Gun, picks up an explosive barrel, and fires it into the backside of the Guard. The resulting explosion causes it to stumble forward, releases a pained roar, and in a vain attempt to attack Gordon, it lurches towards him slowly. Gordon would back away just in time and watches as it crumples to the ground, dying from its wounds. Once Gordon makes absolutely sure that the Antlion Guard was truly dead, he walks to the Cliffside and motions Clementine to come down.

“Did you kill it?” She asks, to which Gordon answers with a confirmatory thumbs up.

“Okay...I'm coming down now…make sure to catch me if I fall, okay…?” She says, and slowly she would climb down from the rock face, dropping down just a bit just to be caught by Gordon. Once he sets her down, the two would turn to see a Vortigaunt approaching them both.

“The Freeman has done well, as have this Youngling.” It then walks over to the dead Antlion Guard, inspects it for a moment, then he turns to the two once again.

“The Freeman will do wise to heed our extraction of the Myrmidont’s aromatic pheropods. The process is not entirety hygienic. Therefore, stand aside.” Clementine would take heed of the Vortigaunt’s advice, hiding behind Gordon as it sent a bolt of green energy into the Antlion Guard’s chest cavity, which causes her to cringe a bit at the sight of the Guard’s innards. It then proceeds to take out several small, round organs of sorts, handing them over to Gordon.

“The Freeman will have need of these pheropods on the path ahead. Gather them now.” Gordon would follow the Vortigaunt’s orders hesitantly, taking the pheropods in hand.

“Eww...they smell like...like fish…” Clementine remarks, holding her nose while she was near the bugbait.

“The Youngling will be used to the smell, as time progresses.” The Vortigaunt responds, and he leads them into the encampment ahead. Inside they would see several rebels hanging out near a campfire, accompanied by a few refugees here and there. As they passed them by, Clementine would begin to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“...supposed to know those damn things would attack the moment we took a single tip-toe into the sand!” A man with an Aussie accent would yell. “Bloody things are unpredictable!”

“Right, as unpredictable as a bull.” Responds another man. “Or, as unpredictable as a bullsquid going for a nice, lovely meal.”

“Hey, go easy on him” An older, somewhat familiar-sounding man would say. “It wasn't Nigel’s fault Lazlow lagged behind. None of us knew what would have happened.”

“Hell, I doubt that.” says a man with a familiar southern accent. “Never had much experience with Antlions, but I know they hate the shit outta anyone that gets near their homes.”

“...Well, yeah, you're not wrong there.” The Aussie responds.

“Nice work, Zeke.” Says a woman with long, brown hair and a clouded-over eye. “Now we may have to start calling you ‘Bugbait’ for that.”

“Anna I swear to-”

“Guys.” A younger woman interjects “Isn't that…” They all look over to Clementine and Gordon Freeman as they make their way to the Antlion grounds. Clementine, not used to such a large group of people looking at her, quickly looks away from them and takes Gordon’s hand again.

“Bloody Hell…” says Nigel, the Australian. “That's Gordon Freeman, isn't it?”

“It sure is…” Responds the man. “The man, the myth, the legend himself.”

“Nice way to put it there, Rico.” says Anna, the older woman.

“I try my best.” Meanwhile the older rebel, the southern rebel and an older woman would watch in shock and amazement as Clementine followed Gordon into the Antlion Training Grounds.

“My god...that can't be…” says the older man.

“...Carley, tell me...am I seein’ shit, or did I just see who I thought I just saw?!”

“I...Jesus, I don't know, Kenny…” Responds the woman. She then looks to the older man, who proceeds to follow Clementine and Gordon from a distance.

“Hey, hold on second, Lee!” Kenny would yell, and the other group would take notice.

“Aye, what's up?” Asks Rico. “You guys see a ghost or something?” Kenny turns around for a moment, not sure how he should explain the situation out...then, with a confused expression.

_“I think we just might of…”_

 

Eventually, as Gordon finishes the demonstration as to how to use pheropods, the Vortigaunt would lead him to the exit that led to Nova Prospekt, the distant sound of heavy thumpers marking it nearby. He turns back to Clementine for a moment as she walks up to him, her expression obviously showing a subtle sense of sorrow.

“...You’'ll come back soon...right?” She asks, and Gordon kneels down next to her. He remains silent and motionless for a second, not really knowing how to explain it to her, but nevertheless he gives her a confident nod and a small smile. Then, surprisingly, Clementine would give him a tight hug, one that she at least tried to give as tightly as possible. Afterwards Gordon stands himself up, and takes a pheropod in hand.

“Go and get Mister Eli back, alright!?” Clementine would say, with a smile of her own to accompany her enthusiasm. Nodding, Gordon would turn around, calls the Antlions to his side, and makes his way to Nova Prospekt. Eventually as they close the gate leading to the prison, Clementine would begin to turn around back to the entrance, when she hears a most familiar voice.

 _“...Clementine…?”_ She looks up towards the entrance and stops dead in her tracks. Just about a few feet in front of the entrance, she sees an old African American man standing there, his hair short, slightly graying, with a goatee of the same color. He had tired-looking brown eyes, a weathered face, and wore an old rebel chest rig, with a dirty, slightly torn blue button-up shirt underneath it. The two stood there, staring at one another, as Clementine began to realize just who it was.

  
_“...Lee…?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this may actually be the longest chapter I've written since Ravenholm Remorse. I know that the encounter with the Combine on Clementine's part got pretty dark, but that's supposed to be the point: Clementine is still a nine-year old, having just killed Lee after the end of Season 1. While she may have experience killing walkers and sneaking by bandits, The Overwatch Transhuman Armament are different. They're augmented soldiers fitted by the Universal Union (aka the Combine) to act as their primary military force on Earth, and are trained in operations outside of City 17. If anything they are cruel, and wouldn't hesitate to kill her were they not under orders to bring her to either Nova Prospekt or the Citadel alive for research purposes.
> 
> Anyways, moving past that dark note, this was probably my most favorite chapter to write thanks to the interactions between the characters and those wonderful OTA units. But because of IRL shit like work and school, I might have to slow down a bit, or at least try to post chapters in shorter sections as this took way too long to finish (about two weeks or so, if I'm correct), so there might not be a whole lotta updates going down as I try to focus on school. On the other hand, I won't stop outright, as this shit is just fun to write overall, so who knows.
> 
> Finally, I'm planning on rewriting a few things. As you can tell, instead of Bonnie being with Kenny and Lee, it's Carley, so I have to rewrite the side chapter on Bridge Point. Doing research here and there has kinda gotten me to consider to add in some beta elements, so that means also having to change the entire last section of Wallace Breen's Breencast.
> 
> Thanks to all those that decided to view this crossover that no one ever asked for, and special thanks for those that left kudos, comments, bookmarks, and all that special stuff. Really helps out with keeping to this project, which I do plan to expand towards all 3 episodes and, hell, maybe even into the Walking Dead universe in the future...maybe. At any rate, hope you all enjoyed this chapter.  
> Stay classy, you wonderful bastards you.


	9. Chapter 6: Isn't this just like...old times?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finally making it through hell and back, Clementine would be left in the care of the Vortigaunt Camp as Gordon pressed on towards Nova Prospekt. During that time...she comes across a few familiar faces...and one she will never forget...

Chapter 6: Isn’t this just like...old times?

 

Clementine stood motionless for a time being...not knowing how to even react to what she was seeing in front of her. The man, all the while, takes a single step forward.

“...L-Lee…?” She would ask again in a shaky voice, with tears beginning to well in her eyes. The man hesitates a for a moment as Clementine called out to him.

“My god...this is…” He mutters. This causes Clementine to quickly run up to him and hugs him as tightly as possible, sobbing and crying as she did so.

“Lee! I-I-I thought y-you were gone! I-I’m so sorry! I-It was a-all my fault! I never should have listened to that-that man! I never should have left! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Lee, still in shock over everything playing out in front of him, was initially surprised by all of this as she sobbed in his gut. Eventually, he would slowly wrap his arms around her, giving her a loving hug in return.

“Oh, Clementine…Sweetpea, it ain’t your fault...”

He honestly had no idea what she was talking about, mainly due to the initial shock of her appearance, and the emotions displayed out in front of both of them, but he couldn't help but attempt to comfort her. In the distance behind the two, Nigel, Rico and Anna would watch the emotional display play out.

“Aw, now that’s just touchin’.” Says Nigel. “Almost makes me forget that the world went to hell twenty years ago.”

“Reminds ya a bit of Lucy, huh?” Asks Rico.

“A bit, yeah...At least, before we left City 17, anyways.”

“Well I think she’s completely different than Lucy.” Anna would respond. “I mean, look at her. A nine-year old, out in a shit-hole like this.”

“Yeah speaking of…” Rico would interject. “...How the hell is that possible? Suppression Field shouldn’t even allow you to have kids, let alone kids nine years ago.”

“A good question.” Nigel responds. “Who knows. Maybe someone actually found a way to reverse it. That or somewhere along the lines Breen might have fucked up, and shut it off on accident while someone was getting it on…”

“The first option sounds a little more believable than the second there, Nigel.” Rico states.

“Well what do ya expect? This is a pretty ‘unbelievable’ situation ‘ere.”  Nigel responds. “I mean, look at it this way: We have a nine year old child running about with no real reason as to how the hell she came to be, and apparently this ‘Lee’ guy and his mates know her. All we know is that she’s the real deal, and people will freak out back in the cities if they ever find out.”

“I’d say we just shut up about all of this and let the two enjoy their emotional moment.” Anna would state curtly. “It's not like you see someone close to you after all these years spring back up from nowhere. Do I have to remind you of your lady-friend, Zeke?” Nigel pauses for a moment, before he admits defeat

“...No...no ya don't.”

“Exactly. Now why don't we get on back, I'm sure the rest of the guys are wondering where the hell we are.”

“Agreed.” Says Rico. “Come on Nigel, let's move.”

“Whatever you say, you two…”

 

Back near the exit to Nova Prospekt, Lee and Clementine would finally let go of one another, with Clementine wiping away the tears that obscured her vision.

“H-How are you still alive? And why are you so...old…?”

“I should be asking you the same question…” Lee responds quietly, though Clementine would catch onto the question.

“...What do you mean? I’ve been alive since…” She pauses for a moment, trying to understand just how all of this was possible, along with trying to decipher what he meant by his statement.

“Clementine…” Lee quiets himself down for a bit, as if he wanted to say something to her, but at the same time it probably wouldn’t be the best idea. He stands himself up, trying to collect his thoughts until Kenny makes his way over to them.

“Hey! Lee! Vorts are serving up dinner! Why don’t ya bring the girl over for something to eat!?”

Lee turns to Kenny for a moment, then he looks back at Clementine, noting her confusion at his statement.

“You know what...yeah, come on, let’s get ya something to eat.”

“...Okay…” Clementine says hesitantly, before she proceeds to follow Lee into the main area, holding his hand in the process. Inside she would see the rebels and refugees from before, lining up to get a meal from both the vortigaunt and human chefs that prepared them. After a bit of waiting, the two obtain their own meals, of which Clementine gives a rather skeptical glance to Lee.

“...What is this? It looks...weird…” She looks back at the food that laid on her plate: A dark yellow-brown piece of meat that was accompanied by some baked beans.

“It’s steak, sweetpea.” Lee would answer. “Come on, let’s go and sit over here.”

“Okay…” She follows this older Lee to a small gathering, where she sees Kenny, Carley, and Five other Rebels. She instantly recognizes the aged Kenny, noting the worn eye-patch he had on his left eye and a graying beard replacing that notable mustache he originally had. Carley, on the other hand, seemed to look the same as she remembered, save for her hair, with bits of gray dotting it, and various wrinkles that mark her face. The other five people were unfamiliar to her, though, and while she felt nervous sitting near a few strangers, she felt comforted by Lee's presence. Eventually the two reach the table, and Lee gives her a spot to sit, to which she does so with a small hint of anxiety.

“So...This is the Ghost of Christmas’ Past I’ve been hearing about?” Asks Nigel, who immediately gets a harsh shoulder tap from Anna. Lee sighs in response.

“Man...she really does look like...uh…” Carley pauses for a short moment, before she shakes her head. “Nevermind...anyways, Lee, mind telling us who our newfound guest is?”

“Uh...this is Clementine, everyone.” Lee would announce to the group, looking around at all of them as he introduced her to them.

“Why don’t you all introduce yourselves, she’s pretty nervous here, so i think giving her our names should help a bit with that.”

“Well, name’s Sparrow, Nigel Sparrow. Hunter, Wanderer, and Lover turned Rebel Extraordinaire.”

“What he means to say is ‘Terrible Shot, Runner, and a damn-well Lucky man turned Rebel Extraordinaire’.” Says Anna in a coy manner

“You're wrong on everything except being lucky. That's also my strong suit.” Nigel retorts.

“So your strong suit is bad luck?”

“Says the girl that has to deal with me.” Nigel shoots back, with Anna giving him a sly smirk in response. She then focuses her attention back onto Clementine.

“Don't always take everything Zeke says seriously, he likes to give off the impression that he’s ‘Cool’.”

“The same can be said about you, Ann.” Anna chuckles a bit at that, and refocuses on Clementine.

“My name’s Annabelle, Annabelle Clyde. It’s nice to meet you, Clem.” Clementine would smile a bit in response, then she watches as Rico moves in between Annabelle and Nigel.

“Those two just love to talk smack about one another, don't take it seriously.” He says. “I'm Rico Valdez, the man with a plan for this bunch of misfits. Over there is Lexi, Nigel’s girl.” He motions to a girl with white hair tied back into a ponytail, who proceeds to give Clementine a small wave.

“It's a pleasure to meet you!” She responds in a light British accent. “It’s always such a wonder to see new faces here, especially when you have nowhere else to go.” Rico would then proceed to lean close to Clementine.

“Personally,” he whispers, “I think he's into her just because of the accent.”

“Firstly, you're terrible with whispering, mate.” Says Nigel. “Secondly, no, it's not just the accent that has me fallin’ head over heels for her.”

“I can only imagine.” Annabelle responds. Rico silently motions for them to cool it down, before he finally gets back to Clementine.

“Over there is Lucy Jazukara, the medic-in-training of the group.”

“Hi there…” Lucy would respond quietly. Rico then sits himself back down in between Nigel and Anna, leaning forward to eat his mysterious steak. Kenny then sets his fork down, noting to himself that he hadn’t really introduced himself to Clementine. He leans back a bit in order to get a better view.

“Hey, name’s Kenny! Sorry for not really respondin’ to ya all that much, but it’s a pleasure to meet ya.”

“And I’m Carley” says Carley, in a more optimistic tone than before. “Former reporter at WABE.”

“Reporter, nice.” Rico responds. “Bet you got a lot of good cash to go along with it, before the Seven Hour War.”

“It was alright...though I do miss going out there to tell the news now-a-days. Better than worrying about raids or if another Antlion goes wild…”

“Aye, you and me both.” says Nigel. “I sure as hell miss wandering about without having to worry about being attacked by something. Or hell, just even hunting something that won’t rip my face clean off of my head if I try to take it down.” Carley and Kenny would chuckle at his statement, reminiscing on the days of old. Eventually, Clementine would begin to eat her food, noting the strange, stringy texture it had alongside its abnormal aftertaste. She then looks over to Annabelle with a question on her mind.

“So...wait, why do you call him ‘Zeke’ instead of Nigel? Wouldn’t that get confusing?”

“Oh no, not at all.” Annabelle responds. “In fact, there’s a story behind that name. You see, back before we left City 17, Zeke here just joined up with our little band when we called ourselves ‘The FF’. During that time he was also made the supply runner of the group, seeing as Irish wanted him to prove himself. Really the old, angry Irish guy was just fucking with poor little Zeke as he honestly thought that was what he needed to do. So, one day we had a bad case of-”

“I'll come on in and tell this part.” Nigel interjects. “Seeing as how you're bringing back shit memories.” He then focuses back into Clementine, taking a bite out of his food in the process.

“So...where were we...ah, right! The Headcrabs! So I was out running supplies for our guys when, well, the sewers had a bad headcrab infestation. One such headcrab was blocking the way to our hideout, and since Irish never gave me any weapons to defend myself with, I had to play matador with a bloody headhumper.”

“...So...what happened next?” Clementine asked, now seemingly invested in Nigel’s story.

“The bugger nearly latched onto me while I was trying to get in, got me good on the nape of my neck.” He then points to the lower side of his neck, outlining where the headcrab had struck. “Stumbled on into the place bleeding pretty bad, had to have Anna patch me up.”

“So, to put in perspective, because he almost became a 'Zeke', he gets the name ‘Zeke’.” Says Annabelle.

“Oh...well...did you get it later?”

“Oh no I valued my life a bit too much after that, never left without a gun at that point.” Nigel quickly responds.

“Man, you and me both.” Kenny would reply. “Back when Me and Lee used to have a group near Macon, we had to deal with a shit ton of that stuff...well…’till we witnessed the Seven Hour War wipe out civilization as we knew it…”

Slowly, Clementine looks down at her food at the mention of Macon, as it brought back some all-too-familiar memories of Lee and her original group. She eventually feels a hand tapping on her shoulder, and she looks up to see the older-looking Lee trying to get her attention.

“Hey, you doing alright?” He would ask in a comforting tone

“Yeah...just...bad memories…” She replies.

“I know what you mean by that…” He mutters. “But It's alright. Whatever happened, that's in the past now…”

“...Yeah! You're right” Clementine sits herself up, looking excited and energetic as ever. “So...what are we gonna do next?”

“Well, that's for Rico and the Vorts to decide, sweetpea. I'll be all for whatever you wanna do, though.” says Lee.

“Well...I don't know…” Clementine pauses for a moment. “...I am pretty tired, though…” She then takes another bite of her ‘steak’, cringing a bit from the aftertaste.

“What, ya don't like roasted Antlion?” Asks Nigel. Clementine would freeze in place soon after hearing this, just as she was about to take another bite out of her food. She then proceeds to react adversely, spitting what left-over taste of cooked Antlion she had out of her mouth.

“Eeeew! Gross!” She yells, causing Nigel to burst out laughing. The others would also hold back a bit of laughter as she pushed her plate away, and Nigel finally begins to collect himself.

“Aww come on now, it ain't all that bad! Antlion meat is good for the body!”

“But you're eating bugs! That's gross! That's like...eating big, yellow beetles!” She responds, causing Nigel to laugh even more. At the same time Lee would lean forward a bit, watching as Clementine tried to argue her point while Nigel could barely contain himself. It almost reminded him of when things had just gone downhill twenty years ago…

 

After the Antlion fiasco, Lee would lead Clementine over to where the refugees and rebels rested. Sleeping bags lined the cave walls as a sort of make-shift barracks, all of them adorned with varying items, from personal items to small firearms, Civil Protection gas-masks, and the likes. It was obvious that he brought her over to where Rico and the others sleep as he points her over to the first one on the left.

“You can go ahead and sleep in mine.”

“Are you sure?” Clementine would ask. “Where will you sleep?”

“I'll find a place that's close by. Sure the others won't mind.”

“Okay…” She then walks over to Lee’s sleeping bag, placing the various weapons and trinkets she collected along the way near her bag. Lee would primarily take note of her USP and MP7 that she sets next to it.

“Where’d you get those?” He would ask, a mixture of concern and suspicion accompanying the question. She would turn to look at Lee.

“...Oh, um...Gordon gave them to me...he taught me how to use them, in case something happened and he wasn't there to help.”

“He taught you how to use those?” Lee would continue, now obviously concerned.

“...Well...no...you taught me how to fire a pistol...remember?” Lee would be taken aback by her response, almost exclaiming a ‘how the hell?’ He manages to hold that back, though, and instead responds with “...Yeah, I remember.” Surprisingly, she didn't seem to question his initial reaction, instead she gives him a smile that would hit him where it hurts the most, almost reminding him too much of years prior. As she climbs into the sleeping bag, Lee would walk over to her and zips it up to a comfortable level.

“Thank you” she says.

“Get some rest now, alright? We're gonna need everyone’s help tomorrow, including yours.”

“Okay...and Lee?”

“Yeah, Clementine?”

“...Goodnight.”

“...Goodnight, sweetpea…”

 

Once Lee _thought_ Clementine was asleep, he sits himself down near a more isolated corner of the camp, rubbing his forehead slowly. Eventually his attention would turn to two men walking towards him, revealing themselves to be Rico and Nigel.

“...So...you wanna tell us how someone like her is here right now?” Rico would ask. “Because last I checked, there was still a suppression field up during our lifetime.”

“Hell if I know...I'm just as confused as you all are?”

“Yeah, that leads me to my next question, seeing as how I doubt you’d honestly had an answer for the last one.” Rico continues. “How the hell does she know you, let alone recognize you? I understand that these are some strange times, what with Gordon Freeman returning and all but do you honestly expect me to believe that a little girl knows you down to the details?”

“I...I honestly don't know here, guys.” Lee would say, letting out a sigh. “Ever since she showed up, I've been asking myself if this was all just some...messed up dream or something...or if I've been seeing a ghost...it's obvious now that things are just a little too real right now…”

“...Alright then, why not give us something to start off on?” Asked Nigel. “...Like what are you even talking about?” Lee looks down for a moment, as if he was thinking on...something...before he just scoots himself back onto the rocky wall that he was nearest to.

_“I think it’s best if you two take a seat...it’s a long story to explain…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I know I'm leaving you all on a cliff hanger, but the next chapter is probably gonna take a while to finish. I also know it's pretty short, but again, this will delve into something I've been thinking of covering for a long while: What if the events of the first season of The Walking Dead were set before and during the Resonance Cascade, with the eventuality of The Seven Hour War also coming into play. With that said I don't plan on holding back for that chapter, as there will be some shit going down. Aliens, Combine, Zombies, and all of the original cast just trying to get through it all as Earth becomes part of the Universal Union. It'll also allow for some...shall we say...expansion on some of Half-Life's cut content, especially the beta portion of it, and who knows, it'll be fun as hell to write Lee, Clementine, and the others dealing with shit like this. I got big plans, and I'm hoping to get them done in an orderly fashion as I deal with school and work. In the meantime I hope you all enjoyed this bit of set-up here, and we'll see you all in the next chapter of this crossover no one asked for.


	10. Chapter 7: The Portal Storms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This happened about twenty years ago. Things have changed since then, obviously, but if it clears things up between me, you, and the girl sleeping in the bunk area just over there, then it'll be good enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit. Twenty Six pages. This is...yeah at this point I have no idea if this will stay as 'the longest god damn chapter I've ever written.' I will also admit, like the Nova Prospekt Chapter, I had way too much fun writing this all down, putting things from the Walking Dead into the perspective of Half-Life. It's kinda like an AU, in a way, and as I was writing this it's given me a few other ideas for...well, future spin-offs here and there, maybe. Probably. Anyways, I'll leave more info on the end notes below, but I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
> 
> ALSO! I forgot to add: A Majority of this will be through Lee's perspective, up until the end of his story, which switches to a third-person perspective between an older Lee and the rebels he's talking to. Enjoy!!

  _Art made by yours truly._

Chapter 7: The Portal Storms and The Combine

 

So, I guess I’ll start off with the very beginning.

Before everything went to hell, I used to be a history teacher at the University of Georgia in Atlanta. Had a pretty good life back then, had a wife (no kids at the time) and things were smooth sailing from there onward. That is...well...I won’t get into specifics, but something happened, and I went on to kill a State Senator because of it. Got myself sentenced to life without parole, and I was being driven out towards the prison when things were just going down.

When the portal storms came, and civilization got its ass handed to it by The Combine.

The Officer driving me was an alright guy, tried to break the ice with a little bit of chit-chat here and there while...well, something was going on. Cruisers, SWAT Vans, and a goddamn helicopter were all heading to Atlanta, but I could barely make out what was going on over the radio. At one point he went on about how some guy was begging him to let him out of the car...it was twenty years ago, so...it’s a bit fuzzy, to say the least.

“I’m driving this man once, he-he was the worst one I tell ya. He wouldn’t stop goin’ on and on about how he didn’t do it! He was an older fella, Big, soft green eyes behind a smart folk’s glasses, sayin’ it wasn’t him. cryin’ and snottin’ all over, right where you’re sittin’!” The Officer was cut off by the radio again, saying something about reinforcements or something before he just shutted it on off.

“Then ‘fore long, he just starts strugglin’ and screaming about how he’s an innocent man, how he was framed and how the government was just huntin’ him down! Like some crazy person! I had to ask him to calm down before I go back there and zap him, and he just shuts himself up after that. Wasn’t long before he just starts yellin’ ‘Sir! Sir you have to let me go! I’m innocent I tell ya! It was self defense, I swear!’”

“So was he innocent?” I asked.

“They caught him gunnin’ down a god damn veteran right in front of his family. Fucker didn’t even blink an eye. Shit, we were lucky to get someone to pin him down before the rest of us got in there.”

“Jesus…”

“It just goes ‘ta show that some people will do crazy stuff and believe they ain’t in the wrong.” As the guy was getting into another story, I saw something wander out on the street. It wasn’t human, that’s for sure, all i could remember was that it walked on...two or for legs or something, it was low to the ground, but it looked like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

“WATCH OUT!”

By the time I yelled out those words it was too late by then. We rammed into the thing and it sent the car tumbling out into a nearby ditch. I blacked out soon after but I could faintly remember hearing...something...like an animal or something going after someone, followed by some gunshots. My whole memory was fuzzy after that part, but eventually I was able to come to.

The car was a complete wreck. The Officer was thrown out the window from the looks of it, but even then it looked...strange, like if he crawled the rest of the way out or something. Screaming for help didn’t do much, so I did the next best thing: I busted my way outta there and crawled on out. Couldn’t even walk normally, though, due to my leg getting banged up in the car crash, but I was out in the fresh air at least. So, I limped over towards the Officer to see what was up…

and I nearly felt sick to my stomach.

The poor bastard’s stomach was blown wide open, like if it just exploded from the inside out, yet all the organs were intact and everything. There was also something on his head - didn’t know it at first, but it was a headcrab that was turning him into a Zombie. I did what I could, got the keys to my cuffs and uncuffed myself...then it - the cop with the headcrab on him - sprung up and swiped at me. I nearly shat my pants right then and there as the damn thing crawled towards me. Barely had enough time to grab his shotgun on the ground before he got close enough to swipe at me again, but I was able to load a shell into the slot and blasted the headcrab clean off of his body. Also got to see the lovely sight of the poor Officer’s face as well, something that really messed me up afterwards.

Eventually I saw a little girl coming up on the ridge, probably no older than seven or eight.

“Hello?! There’s been an accident! Go and get some help!” I yelled. I doubt she heard what I even said, because soon afterwards she went running on back where she came from. Still, managed to get myself up and stumble my way on towards where she ran off...that is, until those things - the headcrab zombies - started coming after me. I picked up the pace, climbed over a fence, and crawled back as I heard those damn things try to bust their way in. I got lucky, though, and a few gunshots managed to draw their attention away from where I went. Whatever the hell was going on, though...well...It was serious, as you know. Looking up at the sky, I saw shit no normal man would be able to explain...large, blue pillars of light hitting the ground near Atlanta. It was like a storm was hitting the whole area...you already know about Portal Storms, but for a first time it was like nothing I ever seen before. So, I stood myself up, tried looking around to see if anyone was nearby.

It was dead quiet. We’re talking so silent you could hear the smoke rising from Atlanta City.

“Hello…? Is anyone here?!” I yelled, with no response to boot, thinking on what the hell was going on. So, I did the next best thing, though, and tried looking for help in the house I found myself near.

“Hello...Is anyone home? I need some help!” I yelled as I banged on the sliding glass door, yet I couldn’t see a thing. Eventually I tried the handle to see if it was unlocked, which it wasn’t, and slowly went on inside.

“I’m coming on in...don’t shoot me now! I’m not a burglar...or one of _them_ …”

I’d kinda regret walking on in there anyways.

Inside the house was a mess. Someone barricaded the stairs leading up to the second floor, TV was left on with no signal, and there was a hell-of-a-ton of blood in the kitchen. Whatever happened, it ended badly from the looks of it, and I didn’t see a body anywhere in sight…

“Man, these people might need more help than I do…” I muttered to myself, and trust me when I say they did. So I looked around trying to find something to help with this leg...instead all I came up with was a cup of water, and a radio. Guess the next thing I did was check the messages on the phone, to see what the hell was going on or where these people went.

_ >Three new messages. Message one. Left at: Five-forty-three P.M.< _

“Hey, Sandra, this is Diana. We’re still in Savannah. Ed had a little _‘incident’_ with a wild animal while we were watching the light show last night, so we had to get him back to the ER and have it checked out. Anyway, he’s not feeling well enough to drive back tonight, so we’re staying an extra day. Thank’s so much for looking after Clementine and I promise we’ll be back before your spring break!” Sounded normal enough...then the next two messages are what got me.

_ >Message two. Left at: eleven-nine-teen P.M.< _

“Oh my god, finally! I don’t know if you tried to reach us; all the calls are getting dropped. They’re not letting us leave and aren’t telling us anything about Atlanta, there’s military everywhere and-and they’re not letting anyone through. Please, please just leave the city and take Clementine with you back to Marietta. I’ve got to get back to the hospital. Please let me know that you’re safe.”

_ >Message three. Left at: Six-fifty-one A.M.< _

Before It was five seconds through I could hear things were bad. There was gunfire in the background, screaming, yelling, and god-knows what else was in the background. What she said next really shook me up.

 _“_ Clementine? Baby, if you can hear this, call the police. That’s 9-1-1. We love you. We love you we love y- _”_ The message cuts off after that.

“God Damn…poor kid” I thought to myself after taking a look at a picture of that family. Then I heard the radio going off.

“Daddy?”

“Huh?” I pulled out the radio soon after I heard that little voice, and decided to just talk right into it, seeing as how someone else was alive…

“...Hello?”

“You need to be quiet. Or else the monsters will hear you.” She responds. This...kinda freaked me out in more ways than you can imagine, seeing as how I was the only guy in there. So I did what I thought was best, stepped away from the glass door, and tried to figure out who was speaking into the radio.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. They tried to get me, but I’m hiding until my parents come home.” She responds again. After walking over to the living room, I checked the underside of the couch, to see if anything was hiding in there.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Clementine. This is my house.”

“Hi, Clementine. I’m Lee...Where are your parents?” I asked as I made my way back into the kitchen, making sure I didn’t step in that pool of blood that was on the ground.

“They took a trip and left me with Sandra. They’re in Savannah, I think...Where the boats are.”

“Are ya safe?”

“I’m outside in my treehouse. They can’t get in.”

“That’s smart.” I said. And it’s true, hell it was clever enough.

“See?” She soon opened the door to her treehouse, and I could barely make her out inside.

“Can you see me? I can see you through the window.” She said. She then waved at me, and I waved back in response...that is, until she screamed and crawled back into the treehouse. The second I turn around I see a goddamn headcrab zombie coming at me. I barely had time to keep it from swiping at me before I shoved it into the oven, and tried my best to get away. That would then result in slipping on that pool of blood I mentioned earlier, and smacking my head into the counter. Once again, I could barely see what was coming at me but the better my vision, the more I realized how close it was getting. I kicked the damn thing away from me and tried to get away when it grabbed my leg. Damn thing got me good too, because once I fell I felt a bad stinging sensation in my lower leg, like if something cut into it. Nearly got me as well before I was able to push it away from me, but even as I was keeping it away from my face, I noticed the headcrab on it was moving towards me, like if it was trying to take a chunk outta me. It freaked me the hell out, so I shoved it away as hard as I could, backed away until I heard Clementine behind me.

“Here...” She said, holding a hammer in her hand. Obviously I grabbed it as quickly as I could and hit the damn thing with it. Once I was finally able to get up I...well, bashed the headcrab on her to a yellow, bloody pulp. It was pretty intense...but...well, made me realize just how lucky I was.

“Man...Hi there.” After it was said and done, I took a bit of a breather in order to regain myself, at least until I heard Clementine ask me something.

“Did you kill it…?”

“I think...that thing got to her first...before I did, at least.”

“I heard her scream and break some stuff two nights ago. I don’t know how it got in…”

“Two nights ago? Yeah...that’s probably what happened.” After that I kneeled down to her level, for the first time actually feeling a little concerned for someone I just met.

“You’ve been...all by yourself through this?”

“Yeah. I want my parents to come home now.” It hit me afterwards that she didn’t even know what happened to her parents, and telling her now would be the worst idea ever...so I danced around that subject a bit…

“I think...that might be a while, you know?”

“Oh” She responded in dismay. Not knowing what else I could really do, I guess I just...moved a little closer to her and lowered my voice a bit, seeing as how there could have been more of those things out there.

“Look, I don’t know what happened, or what’s going on right now, but I’ll look after you until then.” She paused for a moment - which is normal, seeing as how she had some stranger telling her that he would look after her for now, then she popped the question.

“What should we do now?” A good question, seeing as how the sun was starting to set, and god knows what else could be out there. On one hand I didn’t want to take any chances in staying here, seeing as how that storm - or whatever it was - was getting bigger by the hour. Hell, the sky itself was starting to light up in places I’d never thought could be possible, it was like looking at some sort of Aurora Borealis, but more along the lines of flashes in the air rather than a ray of colorful lights. On the other end, I had no idea IF there were more of those things running around, and waiting until night when we had the cover of darkness on our side would probably help. Eventually I decided on leaving immediately, looking for help before it got dark.

“Yeah. It’s not safe at night.” said Clementine. And just like that, we made our way out of the house. Just then, something happened...a Portal Storm or something ripped through the entire neighborhood. I felt weightless for a second before me and Clementine fell to the ground, watching as her treehouse crumbled to the ground next to us.

“My treehouse!” She yelled, quickly running over to it. I was still getting myself up the ground when she just looked at what remained.

“What...the hell was that…?” I asked myself.

“...Those...shockwaves never happened before, at least when that big blue light came down near the city…”

“That thing?” I asked, pointing to that pillar of energy or whatever I was talking about earlier.

“Yeah...That’s when the monsters started coming…”

“You mean, those large bugs or whatever?”

“Not just those...but...Squid-things...and large monsters with red eyes...one huge one with blue skin was stomping around earlier, but I don’t know where it went…It got really close one time, and I was scared that it would tear my treehouse down.”

“...And I think it might be a good reason to not stay here for long. Come on, let’s go.”

“Okay…”

 

We managed to get ourselves out into the streets to see the damage done. Half of the houses were damaged, every window shatter and some of their roofs had collapsed in on themselves. It was like a bomb went off in each and every one.

“Damn.” I muttered to myself.

“Swear.” I heard Clementine say, realizing that I still have her in tow.

“Sorry about that.” I apologized, then we made our way out near the sidewalk. We then saw three guys trying to push a wrecked car out of the way, one of them being a cop.

“Man, we ain’t ever gettin’ home at this rate.” A jolly-looking man said.

“This sucks.” Said another guy, one in a green shirt.

“Come on, let's keep on trying here.” Said the officer. Of course I was a little skeptical, seeing as how the world was going to hell at the moment...but then I’d have to focus my attention back to Clementine, as she was looking pretty uncertain of...something.

“What’s the matter?”

“Should I stay”

“What?” I asked, pretty confused on what she meant by that.

“I don’t want to sleep in the treehouse tonight, but I don’t know if I should leave. What if my parents come home?”

“I won’t leave you alone.” I answered. It was the best I got, I mean I couldn’t just go on to tell her “Sorry, but your parents are dead, and they ain’t coming back.” She seemed alright with that answer though, so it was good enough in my books.

“Let’s go somewhere safe that’s close, ok?”

“That’s a good idea.” I said, then stood myself back up, hoping to hell that I won’t get shot the moment I call out to those three strangers. Suddenly, the Officer whips out his pistol and turns around.

“Hey! Don’t move, Georgia State Police!”

“Holy shit!” The guy in the green shirt yelled.

“Don’t eat us!” Yelled the other guy.

“Woah woah, hey, easy! We’re not one of them, I have a kid with me!” I yelled, raising my hands into the air. Clementine also held her hands up, pretty scared out of her mind...that is, until the Officer actually realized we weren’t one of those things.

“Jesus, you gave us quite the scare. We thought you were one of those...things, whatever the hell they are, that’ve been attacking people lately”

“Yeah, tell me about it…” I muttered. “We need some help here.”

“If you’re trying to get out of here, that’s a good idea.” the guy in the green shirt says. “Whole city is under lockdown and there’s a whole bunch of monsters or whatever running around outside. It’s pretty gnarly here, more than downtown Atlanta fifteen miles back.”

“So it’s not just out here, huh?”

“Definitely. We just ran into some...squid-looking thing a while back, eating someone. We were damn-near lucky not to piss it off.” He then steps forward a bit, as if to introduce himself.

“I’m Shawn. Shawn Greene.”

“Lee. This is Clementine.” I motioned to her as I said her name. Soon enough the other guy kneels down to her level and waves at her.

“I’m Chet. The officer is Andre-”

“Officer Mitchell.” He quickly responds.

“We shouldn’t be out in the open like this. Who knows what’ll find us out here if we do. How about you help us clear the way and we’ll take you and your daughter out of here, and down to my family’s farm. It should be safer there.”

“I’m not her dad, I’m…” I hesitated for a moment, realized that I gotten myself into a bit of an awkward situation there, and I came up with something on the fly.

“...Just some guy.”

“Some guy?” Shawn asked in a concerned tone, which was reasonable, considering I had a kid in my care who barely knew me.

“Yeah.”

“She’s alone…?” He asked himself, from the looks of it anyways, before he gets right back on topic.

“Let’s get going. Staying put for too long would be a mistake.”

“Yeah, let’s hurry this up, before that thing comes searching for its next meal to eat.” Says Officer Mitchell. I then turned to Clementine, asking her what she wanted to do. She hesitated for a moment...then we all heard something screeching around the corner.

“Oh shit!” Andre yelled. On the other side of the pile-up, some strange, leopard-skinned monster comes waddling out from wherever it was, and it noticed all of us on the other side.

“That monster’s comin’! We gotta go!”

“Get that car moving, I’ll keep it from getting any closer!” Yelled Andre, whipping out his pistol as he said that. We all hauled ass trying to move this one car out of the way as Andre fired at whatever the hell that thing was. We finally got it all the way through when we saw it spitting some sort of...snot, or acid or whatever it was - at Andre. Got him square in the shoulder and burned his skin off a bit.

“Ah, jesus-fuck! What the hell?!”

“Forget about it, just get in the truck!” Shawn yelled, and I didn’t stop to even bother. I got Clementine inside first before I helped Andre to his own car, getting in the passenger seat before we sped off and away from that thing. Whatever it was, I’d later come to learn its name: A Bullsquid. Ugly looking animal, if ya asked me back then.

 

It would be nightfall before we all made it to Shawn’s place, and things weren’t looking all that bright as is. Though everything looked calm at first, that energy-thing was still going on over near Atlanta. Could be seen for miles around...Anyways, Once we all got out of the cars, Chet decides that it would be in his best interest to get on home to his mom before things get bad. Officer Mitchell would also follow Chet home, in case things were as bad as Atlanta over there. Eventually we met with Hershel, the owner of the farm, and he patched up my leg alright. After a bit of talk, he eventually agreed to let us sleep in the barn, provided we helped him and his son out with chores tomorrow…

 

Then the sun came up, and it only got worse as is.

 

I was woken up by Kenny - the man with the eyepatch and all. Before the eyepatch, he was trying to get his family out towards Macon, where I was planning on going as well. Eventually, I found out just how bad the cities were. Military were deployed on every avenue and street fending off whatever the hell was coming in, tanks and all. Even before then Kenny mentioned how, at a gas station not far from there, a few guys were yelling about some ‘green-looking son-bitches runnin’ in towards the station!’ and ran like hell. A few seconds later that’s exactly what they saw: Large, almost lizard-like things on two feet, or hooves or something, sprinting across the station and into the field. He almost attacked one when it decided to stop and take a look at the three of them, before they sped off towards Atlanta. There they saw the actual fighting between the ‘wildlife’ as the military were calling them, and, well, the military themselves.

“It was hell, but we managed to pull through.” Says Kenny. “What about her?”

“Who?”

“Your little girl. You need any advice, you got kids of your own?”

“Nah...no kids.”

“Would’a liked one, then.”

After that whole conversation, I decided to actually help out with this fence idea Shawn had talked about last night. I got to sawing apart the boards when he started talking about how his dad doesn’t know just how bad it was back in the city. Couldn’t agree more.

“I saw one of those things...those...crabs, or whatever the hell they were, jump onto a kid. He went down soon after that, and someone tried pulling the thing off. Next thing I knew it sprung back up and attacked the guy, right then and there.”

“Damn...Clementine mentioned that a lot of things were running about...especially some...big...blue monster of sorts, apparently as large as a house.”

“Jesus, if that is the case, I doubt this fence would hold.”

“I’ll say…” Shawn then pauses for a moment, before he turned back to look at me again.

“...You ever got a good look at that thing? Near the city?”

“That beam of light? Yeah, me and the girl got a first-hand experience with it. That shockwave tore down her treehouse once we got outta her place.”

“Holy shit. Were you two hurt?”

“No, but we were lucky. If we were in there...well, I doubt we’d be talking right now…”

“Yeah…This is all like some...bad sci-fi horror brought to life.”

“Right?” I said, with a nervous chuckle to boot. Afterwards Shawn would stop me from cutting more 3x4’s and tells me to go check on his dad, which I do so anyways. He then begins to ask me a few questions.

“So, where were you heading again?”

“I got a ride and was making my way outta Atlanta, when I got into an accident.”

“Well, you’re not worse for wear.” Afterwards, we started talking on depending on the honesty of strangers, until we both heard someone screaming and the tractor being turned on. I Ran as fast as I could to see Shawn stuck under the Tractor as those...headcrab zombies stumbled on towards him and Duck. One managed to grab the kid while the other two almost got to Shawn. In an attempt to help, I ran over to Shawn’s aid, grabbing a loose 2x4 in order to smack the hell outta them...didn’t quite work all that well, due to those things being determined to kill Shawn. Kenny on the other hand managed to get Duck away from the third one, but I was still trying to keep them at bay.

“Kenny! Help Lee!” Kenny turned to look at me, then he just ran away. I couldn’t blame him, to be honest, the whole situation was happening too fast and I had no damn idea what to do. Outta desperation, I tried pulling Shawn out from under the tractor, but he was stuck in there for good.

Then that rickety fence gave way.

Those zombies got to him in seconds, tearing into him with those bone-like claws. I noticed Clementine looking in sheer terror as the whole scene played out, and I tried to do my best to keep her from seeing what went down...but by then, Hershel had already arrived, and shot all all of them dead. It was a messed up situation...he blamed Kenny for his son’s death, to which I actually defended him. At any rate, we were kicked off of the ranch...and we made our way over to Macon.

 

After all that went down we finally made it over to Macon...things were just as bad as they were back near Atlanta. Cars were thrown about everywhere, buildings were nearly collapsing on themselves, it looked like a full-on war zone with the exception of the military. By the time we parked near the drugstore, we realized we weren’t alone. There were these...yellow things, near a wrecked truck at the time. They almost sounded - hell they nearly acted - like dogs, chirping or whatever they were doing. Before we knew it, though, Duck decided to be the smartest kid in the world at that moment.

“Hey Dad! What are those things? They look cool!”

That’s when they focused their attention onto us. There were four of them, and by the looks of things they weren’t friendly.

“God damnit, Duck!” Kenny yelled.

“Quickly, into the drugstore!” I yelled myself, and we all made a mad dash to the store. Nearby we noticed a woman unloading her pistol into the things, and for once it actually scared them away, almost exactly like dogs.

“Get in here, quick, before more show up!”

 

Once we were in, we came face-to-face with a few…’friendly’ individuals. One of them, a girl who went by the name of Lily, decided it would be nice to yell at our hero to quote “When I say ‘Keep the door shut’ I fucking mean it!” Things got heated...very heated.

“What the fuck is wrong with you!?” Yells an older man. “Don’t you know that noise attracts those things?!”

“What the hell was I supposed to do?!” The woman yelled. “Leave them out there to die?!”

“We have kids here!”

“Oh yeah? All I see is one little girl.”

“Hey, what the hell is your issue!?” I yelled, angry as hell at this point.

“What do you think?! Those fucking things are out there killing people left and right! And YOU people led them here!” Before I could even continue, I felt Clementine’s hand grab onto mine, and I look down at her.

“What is it?”

“I...I have to pee…”

“In a minute, Clem.”

“DON’T YOU PEOPLE FUCKING UNDERSTAND?!” Screamed the old guy. “This is a full-on Invasion! There are aliens- or monsters- or something that are KILLING people in their homes! Yet we're letting in a bunch of people we don't even know! They could rob us in our sleep for all we know!”

“Right, a bunch of guys with kids are gonna fuck us over. Okay, Larry.” Says an Asian man.

“We're not gonna do anything here, we just needed to find a safe place!”

“Yeah, well this isn't the place for you then!”

“And you're just going to throw out a little girl as well? Huh?” Asked the woman. Before anyone could go on about who's staying and who's getting thrown out, I heard Clementine yelling for me.

“Lee.”

“Yeah, Clementine?”

“There's someone in there…”

“The door’s just locked. Keys are under the counter...probably.”

“I swear to God!” The old man yelled. “If we’re not throwing them out, I'm gonna do it myself!”

“Over my dead body!” Yells Kenny, stepping in between the old man and his family.

“We’ll dig one hole.”

“Kenny! Stop him!” screamed Katjaa.

“I’m gonna kill him, Kat! You just worry about Duck!” yelled Kenny, with the old man moving closer to the three.

“Look I'm just trying to protect my daughter, here!”

“More like you're arguing for killing a kid and his entire family!”

“Because you're all a bunch of dumbasses for thinking you can just waltz on in thinking you own the place!”

“And you think you own this place as well?” I asked.

“We do now!”

“Listen here, I'm not letting ya throw anyone out here, got it!? I got a little girl in my care, and I'm not letting anything happen to her or the people I'm with! You wanna violent you old fuck? Because you're gonna have to get past me, before anyone else here!” Suddenly, I heard Clementine scream on the other side of the store. When I turned to look...God, I’m just glad I was there. She backed away as a headcrab zombie - one looking like it barely had any skin or muscle on its bone - bursted out of the bathroom.

“Jesus!” The old man yelled, and my mind was going haywire at that point.

“CLEMENTINE!” I sprinted towards her, pushing pass Lily - the ‘leader’ of these people - and...well, I tackled the damn thing before it could jump at Clementine.

“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

Like the situation at the house, I would regret this almost immediately.

The damn thing would immediately get the upper hand on me, practically pinning me to the ground as it tried to claw my chest out. Then I got to see that wonderful view of the headcrab on the zombie lifting itself up, as if it was trying to latch onto me.

“Get...this...thing...off of me!” I yelled as it was clawing at me. It probably would have killed me as well, were it not for Carley shooting the thing in the head. It slumped over but it was a struggle to get off, the melted skin alone was like grabbing a piece of rotten beef that’s been sitting out in the sun for far too long. Once I finally got it off of me, I stood myself up and dusted myself off.

“You alright?” She asked me.

“Just fine, thanks.” The both of us look at the corpse for a moment, until a distant roar is heard, followed by what seemed to be large footsteps. It spooked Clementine quite a bit, more than the recent ambush by that zombie.

“I-It’s the monster! The big blue one!” She shouted.

“Quickly! Everyone, hide!” Yelled the asian man, and just like that we all scrambled for cover. I was able to get Clementine just in time, and the two of his hid behind the counter while the others hid behind shelves and other things. We heard it get so close that, hell, we could hear it breathing right outside. It roared something fierce before we all heard it crushing something metallic.

“Jesus, I hope it didn’t get the truck!” Kenny exclaimed under his breath.

“Shut up!” Whispered Lily, before it started moving towards the drug store again. We had no idea what it looked like since the windows were boarded up, but I doubt anyone wanted to go out and look. Then, we hear the military firing in the distance, which by some miracle distracts it...somehow. It roars a third time before it sprints off towards the gunfire, and all I remember then was silently feeling sorry for any poor bastard that managed to come face-to-face with it.

“That was idiotic! That was stupid! That-that was-Oh! Ahg!” Yelled the old man, who then collapsed to the ground in pain

“Dad!” Lily yelled as she rushed to his aid. At this point everyone was starting to panic a bit...at least until Kenny decided to bark some orders to the group. Eventually our goal turned to trying to find Larry - the old angry bastard that suffered a small heart attack - some Nitroglycerin pills in the back. Only issue was that the shutters were locked from the inside, and no one knew if the office door was locked as well, which it was. Despite that, Me and Clementine decided to take a look around inside.

The office was in pretty bad shape...there was a single sleeping bag covered in blood, with the desk blocking the door to the medicine storage, and  the windows and everything boarded up like it was the apocalypse. I was able to salvage a picture of my family before all of this happened, though I had to rip off a bit of it to make sure no one else questions how I was part of it...then Carley confronted me, told me she knew who I was and what I did. Right in front of Clementine, no less...so I had to deal with that as well. I trusted her, though, seeing as how she did save my ass a few times and seemed to care for Clementine’s well-being, but otherwise...it would be a little hard to explain to the girl about what I did. We did manage to pass the time, though...and I was able to ask her about that creature she heard earlier.

“You mean, the big blue monster?” Clementine asked.

“Yeah, that. Did it ever get close to your house?”

“...Yes...It got into the backyard, and I was too scared to look outside at first. When I finally told myself to take a look...it was scary looking. It had big teeth, like a shark...and it was large, like a bus...and it was holding that crab-thing you see on people's heads. It was also holding half of a person in its two hand-claws that were on its stomach. I’m glad it didn’t see or hear me, because when it heard someone shouting out near the road, it ran out of my back yard...and...and all I heard was a weird noise - like a jet or something, and a person screaming...it was really scary…”

“You were smart, though.” I reaffirmed Clementine. “You kept out of sight and you didn’t make any noise, that’s good.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Really really.” The talk seemed to lift her spirits a bit, which helped the both of us out quite a bit. Eventually we were able to move the desk out of the door when she cut her finger on, well, something, and I was able to patch it up for her. We talked a little more, especially on my family...which I was hesitant to talk about in the first place...afterwards, just before we left the office, I would hear something from Clementine that...honestly made me think a bit.

“Are you bad, Lee?”

“What?” I asked, outta shock of course.

“That woman said you killed someone...was it because he was one of those things that tried to claw you?” I wanted to dodge that question entirely, but I couldn’t help it…

“...No...he wasn’t.”

“Oh...was he bad?”

“...Yes…”

After all of that, I got call from Glenn on Clementine’s radio. Before he left to find us gas for the trucks, I gave him one of the radios Clementine had on her. He told us he got caught by a few…‘wildlife’ animals, or whatever they were, and he was stuck at the motel he was scavenging. I decided to take Carley with me and the both of us managed to get there...just as the sun had set. We saw two of these...aliens, bipedal things or whatever, but they didn’t look too hostile, anyways. We weren’t too sure, though, so we decided to play it safe and stayed hidden. They almost reminded me of the ones Kenny described back at Hershel’s, but that didn’t really matter all too much. We were able to find Glenn hiding in an ice box, saying that there was some woman trapped on the upper floor there.

That’s when I got the idea to help her out, anyways.

We decided to sneak around a bit, noting how there were three of these greenish-brown aliens nearby, speaking in some sort of guttural language or something…

“Those were the things that came on in after I tried to get her outta there. They...didn’t seem all that harmful...but, well, you know…”

“Huh…” I muttered. After standing myself up, I tried to communicate with those things.

“Hello?!”

“Lee! What the hell are you doing?!” Whispered Carley. “Are you trying to get us killed?!”

“Hey! Maybe not all of these things want to hurt us!” I said. Those creatures had already taken notice of us, though, and they seemed to be a little agitated.

“Look! We’re friendly, we’re not gonna hurt ya!” By then, they would begin to run away from the three of us. Disappointing, but what could you do?

“Well, so much for friendly interaction.” Glenn muttered. “At least we know they won’t attack us.”

“Yeah, you got that right.”

“That still wasn’t the best thing to do.” Said Carley. “What if they were hostile, like the rest of those things? Who knows what they could have done?”

“Well they’re not, so let’s be thankful for that.” I responded. Eventually I was able to get myself a fire axe from one of the nearby walls, and soon after that we made our way to the room Glenn told us about. There was a single piece of wood in between the door and the doorframe, essentially it was locked from the outside. I pounded on the door for a response, but I got nothing.

“Hello…? Is anyone in there? We're here to help.” I turned to Glenn when there was still no response.

“...What? I swear I heard someone in there earlier…”

“Yeah, well it’s either you heard things...or…”

“Shit...she might be in trouble!” Glenn yelled. “Hurry, get that door open!”

“Alright, alright! Ma’am?! We’re coming in!” Soon after I said that, I sent the axe down into the board blocking the door. Unsurprisingly it was still locked on the inside, and since there was still no response coming from that room, I did the next best thing and begun to chop the door to hell. Once it was weak enough, I kicked it down and...well...turns out the girl was already dead. Her body was lying in the middle of the room, with one of those grab things latched onto her head. This time, though, it was black in color...and we had no idea just how long it was on there for.

“Oh, God…” Glenn muttered.

“Great. All that for nothing” Said Carley. “Come on, let's get going…”

“Hold up. We gotta make sure she doesn't come back.” I said, readying the fire axe I had in my hands.

“Are you serious?! We're not gonna do that, that's sick!” Yelled Glenn.

“Look at her!” I yelled back. “If we don't kill that thing on her head she'll come back as one of those things and kill us! You know what they do to people, Glenn!”

“Jesus...I can't watch…” He turned away from the both of us as me and Carley got closer to the thing.

“You sure you want to do this?” She asked.

“Better safe than sorry.” I responded. She handed me her pistol soon afterwards, and as soon as she did that girl’s body started twitching.

“Ah, shit.” I muttered. I aimed the pistol at the headcrab - which is eventually what we started calling them at that point - and as soon as she sat up...well...I pulled the trigger. It was quick, hopefully painless, but once I met up with Carley and Glenn they both understood what went down.

When we got back to the drugstore, things haven’t really improved. Houndeyes were wandering the streets just outside, making the front entrance inaccessible, and shooting them would only bring back that...giant alien, or monster or whatever it was that was running around Macon. Once we made it back in Kenny gave us an update on the situation: Big Blue (as he had named it) was still close by, and Larry was still too weak to take on any more stress. Eventually me and Doug - one of the survivors keeping watch for anything outside - would step out into the entryway, taking a good look at what was wandering outside. About four to five Houndeyes were all lulling about, with some eating a nearby corpse from the looks of it. To the right of us we saw another corpse - someone was crushed by a telephone pole...and then I realized just who it was, after comparing them with the photo I had on hand. It was my brother...I...won’t get into detail, like I said before, but he had the keys on him, and there was no way we would get into the back without them. The issue was the Houndeyes, because without something to distract them with I’d be killed in seconds. So...we came up with a brilliant idea. As it turned out, Houndeyes were easy to distract...very easy, in fact, when it came to stuff like flashing lights or noises. So when I showed Doug a universal remote my Dad used to use for the office, he reprogrammed it to turn on the TVs in a nearby store. One by one, the Houndeyes focused their attention on the static being made by the TVs, and I snuck over to the body. I think I sat there for a few good minutes, giving my peace and all until I was finally able to get the keys off of his body. Before I was able to make it back, though...well…

...That’s when I got a good view of the Big Blue - what the military’s been calling a ‘Gargantua.’

Best part was when it was just walking around, minding its own business, and yet it didn’t even notice me...and let me tell you, the look of that thing was terrifying enough. I think I sat there for a few good minutes as the Houndeyes scattered for cover, when I slowly made my way over to the drugstore, careful as to not alert the giant to where I was. After I safely made it back to the drugstore I gave Lily the keys.

“Alright! Let's get back in there!”

“We best hurry as well. That thing is still out there looking for something to kill.” Once we got into the office, Lily unlocked the door to the back...and then the alarm went off.

“Ah shit…”

“We need to move, now!” Lily yelled. And so we went in to grab what we could.

 

“Alright people let's get a move on! Kat! You got Duck?!” Yelled Kenny as we all scrambled to get what we could carry.

“I got him right here!” Yelled Katjaa as she carried him over to the office. I was making sure Clementine was ready to move out while everyone else was grabbing what food and medicine they could carry out, when we all hear a roar just outside the store. Moments later that Gargantua comes crashing through the front

“JESUS ALMIGHTY!” Kenny shouted. “WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!”

“MOVE, PEOPLE! LET’S GO!” I yelled.

“Lee!” Screamed Clementine as the Gargantua began spraying the place with these...jets or whatever. Everyone was scrambling out the door as I grabbed Clementine and got out, before I was stopped by Larry.

“You’re not coming with us, you son of a bitch!” He slammed his fist right in my cheek, and I went tumbling down to the ground. I heard Clementine scream as she was pulled away to safety, and I heard Carley firing a pistol at that Gargantua soon afterwards. she distracted it a good bit before I saw Kenny pulling me up.

“I ain’t leaving a good friend behind, you hear me? Now get up!” He said, grabbing my arm to help me up. I turned around to see that giant behemoth of a monster sprint on towards an alleyway, busting down the sides of the buildings as it was trying to get Carley. We managed to get to the trucks just in time, and as soon as she looped her way over we got ready to move.

“Floor it! Get us the hell outta here!” Carley yelled as the Gargantua sprinted towards us.

“Ah, shit! Come on!” Once the truck finally turned over he floored the gas pedal and sped on out. We had to keep our heads down as we sped past more of those wildlife. That Gargantua wasn’t giving up real easily, seeing as how it was tearing down bits and pieces of buildings and cars as it followed us.

“Damn! That thing is relentless!” I yelled.

“Don’t worry! We’re gonna make it on out of here!” Said Kenny as he swerved past abandoned cars and other sorts of wrecks. It still gave chase a few blocks out of Macon, but once we finally got out of the town’s limits is when it finally gave up. After all of that, Kenny pulled over and lets out a sigh of relief, before he checked back on everyone else.

“Is everyone good?!”

“Yeah! We’re fine!” Said Katjaa.

“I’m alright!” Said Carley. She then turned to look back at me and Clementine. “Are you two alright?!”

“We’re doing good back here!” I yelled, with Clementine nodding to back up my answer. Once that was said and done we all got out to stretch and to figure out where the hell we were going.

“So...now what? Kenny asked, looking around for a moment.

“Well...we regroup with the others, I guess...there’s this Motel we can all get to, hold up there until the Military takes care of everything.” I responded.

“Sounds like a plan then. Alright, le-” We’d all stop when another shockwave shoots through the whole countryside, causing us all to stumble a bit in our places.

“God damn, another one?!” Yelled Kenny. Soon enough we started to hear...gunfire...like we’re talking the kind of gunfire you would hear in a warzone, coming from Atlanta. We all turned and...well...you know how it went down.

But I will never forget what I saw with my own eyes.

In the distance, we saw Gunships and Dropships and all sorts of stuff moving through that Portal near Atlanta. They were overwhelming the entire city...and they were spreading outwards. Dropships were moving down to the ground while the Gunships circled the skyscrapers and other buildings within Atlanta. We were too far away to see what they were dropping down exactly, but it was clear that they didn’t stand a chance.

“...Oh my god…” Carley exclaimed. “...What is that?”

“...I have...no idea...but…” Kenny paused for a moment. “...We gotta get to that Motel. Fast.”

“Agreed…” I muttered...I was just hypnotized by what I was seeing in front of me. Hell was breaking loose all over the state, yet I was just watching an alien invasion go down in awe...that is, until I felt Clementine grab my hand.

“...Lee...is...is that going to happen to everywhere else?” She asked, her facial expression giving off a clear sense of worry. I knew she was referring to her parents at this point, seeing as how they were all the way in Savannah, and we had no way of knowing what was going on down there either. I lied, though, gave her the most optimistic answer I could think of.

“...I’m not sure, Clementine...but we’ll be alright. We’ll make it.”

“Are you sure?” She asked me again.

“I’m positive. We’ll be good.” I answered. Soon after that, we all got back into the truck, with me and Clementine taking our seat in the back, before we all drove off to the Motor Inn. We both just watched as Atlanta burned…

 

And we watched as the Seven Hour War began.

 

Once we got to the Motor Inn, Kenny began barking orders to block the gates and everything. Everyone saw what was going on over in Atlanta and we spent no time mucking about. Once we parked the cars in front of the entrances, we heard those things making their way over towards us.

“Alright, everyone! Inside, now!” Yelled Kenny. Just like that everyone scrambled for cover, with Clementine and I taking cover in one of the rooms of the motel. We watched as...who knows how many Gunships and Dropships flew over the motel. Hundreds, maybe thousands of them in an organized fashion, carrying Striders and Drop Pods and...Crab-Synths and all of this other stuff we couldn’t even begin to understand.

“...Lee...Are...Are we going to die?” Clementine asked me, scared as anyone else.

“No. We ain’t gonna die, Clementine.” I told her, but truth be told I didn’t even know if I could believe my own words. We were watching a full-scale invasion go down and we barely knew what was going on besides that. Once we were given the all-clear, everyone walked back outside, looking towards Atlanta as it burned.

“Good God…” Larry muttered, for once showing a bit of shock instead of anger. “How the hell…?”

“This is a full-scale war…” Lily added. “Jesus...Warner Robins...I...God I hope they all made it out…”

“That’s where they came from, I reckon.” Kenny added. “Whatever these damn things are, they’re organized. Way smarter than the things we just dealt with back in Macon.” As the others continued to think on what was going on and I was preoccupied with keeping Clementine’s mind off of all this...well, crazy shit that’s been going down, we all heard the radio going off from Glenn’s car...and that just dropped morale down to zero.

 _“The United Nations has issued a Global Emergency in response to the recent attacks on cities all over the world. The United States has also issued a ‘DEFCON 1’ status within any and all territories. Hundreds of cities around the globe have been decimated as is, and the United States Military has been pushed back time and time again by this alien force, which has yet to be named by. In the United States alone, New Mexico is considered the first to have a complete communication blackout in the light of alien attacks on our soil. And...excuse me for a minute…”_ There was an unsettling silence that lasted for quite a bit after that...and then once the reporter started speaking again, we just realized how bad this was really getting.

 _“...We...have confirmed reports that these alien invaders have decimated multiple military sites and urban centers within the southern and western portions of the United States. affected areas including: Santa Fe, and Albuquerque of New Mexico; Atlanta and Savannah, of Georgia; Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth, of Texas; Las Vegas and Reno, of Nevada; Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville, of Florida; Fort Collins, Denver, and Colorado Springs, of Colorado; Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Asheville of Tennessee;...”_ Our hope dwindled more and more as we heard each and every city and state listed on the casualty list. When they listed Savannah, I couldn’t help but notice Clementine nearly breaking down into tears...and it didn’t stop at just where we were. The reporter listed off cities in Britain, France, Germany, and then it just started piling on with China, Africa, Australia...the whole world was burning right in front of our eyes, and we couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Eventually as we all went back to just...trying to figure out what to do next, Glenn would call me over to his car.

“...Hey man...so...I’m thinking of heading on back to Atlanta.”

“Really?” I asked. “After what just went down over there?”

“Hey...you never really know. Sides, I got friends over there...I need to see if they’re alright…” I paused for a moment, noticing that Lily was about to come over to see if we needed help. I waved her away, and when she got the message I thought on his question for a moment.

“...You gotta do what you gotta do.”

“And I have to do this…”

“Right...oh...and uh, the radio?” Glenn sat there for a moment, before he realized what I was talking about.

“Oh! Right, Clementine’s radio...sorry. Here.” He gave it back to me, and I nodded as thanks. He then got in his car, nodded, and drove off towards Atlanta…

After giving Clementine her second walkie-talkie back...and dealing with Larry’s bullshit, Me, Kenny and Lily met up near the entrance of the Motor Inn.

“So...now what?” I asked.

“...To be quite honest? I’m not too sure.” Kenny responded. “This...this is all going crazy…”

“We can’t just give up.” Said Lily. “Look, we’re gonna fortify the Motor Inn, we’re gonna stay here and try to wait all of this out, alright?”

“Yeah...I mean...we got power, we got light and food...I guess things are looking up for us so far…”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t sweat it one bit.”

Oh how wrong I was. As soon as I said that, we all heard a loud explosion in the far-off distance...and then the power went out soon afterwards. We were in complete darkness, with the only thing we could see was the orange glow of Atlanta as it...well...burned...Once we calmed everyone down, we all got assigned our own rooms to stay. I went with Clementine to the second level of the motel, having a clear view of Atlanta. She was still scared to death, seeing the stuff she's seen, and I tried my best to get her mind off of everything. Guess it didn't really help that, once I finally got her to sleep, I sat outside and listened to the radio, listening to how The Seven Hour War was going...I think I was into the third hour of the war when I just...passed out from exhaustion. It wouldn't be until the sun was just coming up that Carley woke me up.

“Lee? Hey, wake up Lee.”

“Gaah…” I groaned. “Wha...ah, man, did I pass out here?”

“Seems like it…” Carley paused for a moment, seeing as how it was kinda obvious I'd been listening to the radio the whole night. We both heard someone else’s voice speaking on the air...our favorite administrator, Doctor Breen, was just giving his speech on our surrender. We...well we were devastated. In seven whole hours, we went from some alien invasion that we could survive to a damn dictatorship. I couldn't help but listen to the man as he spoke, praying to God that Clementine hasn't woken up yet.

_“Our Benefactors merely arrived for a peaceful meeting with our species. Instead, we attacked them as we attacked the animals and creatures that sat at our doorstep. We retaliated, and so therefore they responded with equal measure. I had done my best to explain to them our situation, and the problems we were facing as a species...and they understood completely. Our Benefactors are only here to help us, and I hope you all can understand that this isn't what they wanted. The United Nations themselves agreed that the only way this can end is a peaceful surrender of Earth’s human population, so that we may begin our journey to greater prosperity.”_

“Bullshit…” I muttered. I don't think anyone could have believed what they heard then, if they were listening to our radio at the moment. I felt myself getting more and more pissed as I kept listening to his speech, up until I tuned him out. For a moment, I got myself up to look at Atlanta once again, and watched as those Dropships and Gunships circled the city. Then...well, you both know what happened next. With the Citadels planted and the suppression field going up with them, we found ourselves having to stay hidden as they sent out a hell-of-a-ton of those out to search for any stragglers. As far as I'm aware, those who got caught were sent back to Atlanta, which they started calling...City 45, I think. I'll skip over the months we spent hiding out, and...well the time we made contact with other survivors to get this all over with, and to explain what happened to...Clementine.

 

So for a bit of context, that group I was talking about was raided while we were over there by The Combine - which is what we came to name them - and left no survivors. We lost a few people during that time, like Larry and Mark - a guy we met a month earlier - and we got some new people in the process, like Ben.

I'll get to Ben when I can...probably.

Anyways, we've been hiding out at the Motor Inn when we made contact with a group of Rebels in Savannah. They told us that they were shipping people out towards Black Mesa East, a Rebel base near the capital, and to make our way there. Lily, on the other hand, wanted to stay put and hunker down. We were all about to argue with her...when...well, we came into contact with the first Synth Forces stationed on Earth. Three groups of Hunters - Combine Synths that specialized in hunting down and killing any human or alien they came across - found our little fort. When they moved in to search for any stragglers, they found some of our stuff - food, water, stuff like that - and sent out an alarm.

That's when Lily shot first.

She essentially had us try to fight these things off with old rifles and pistols we managed to scrounge up during that several month-long period...it...didn't go so good. As we tried to get everyone to the RV, Duck was wounded by one of the hunters - took a shot to the gut, and he was bleeding bad. Now to put in perspective, Hunter flechette normally sinks into the skin and dissolves it, or vaporizes it, one of the two. If it sticks into cover, though, it let's off a small explosion that will do a bit of damage to ya if you're close enough. Now I was giving everyone covering fire as these Hunters were trying to get us all - until they attracted some Antlions to the scene. By then everything was going to hell real fast. You had Antlions flooding the whole area, you have Hunters attacking both us and the Antlions and, by the time we were able to get everyone in the RV, our familiar Gargantua made an appearance to the scene and...well...I’ll just say that we got the hell out of there soon after he showed up. As we drove, we...well we managed to hit a Headcrab Zombie wandering out of the woods, and it damaged the radiator. Once we got to a relatively safe place, Kenny began trying to pull it out from the engine while Lily began screaming on how we just up and left the Motor Inn without even trying to help defend it. Carley shot back on how it was hopeless to even try, and even went so far as to say it was Lily’s fault for alerting the Hunters. And...well, that’s when Lily took it too far. She yelled about how the new guy, Ben, was the reason they found our supplies and alerted the main fleet back at Atlanta. All the while you had Ben saying that it wasn’t his fault. It started to escalate until she just...pulled out her pistol and shot Ben. Right in the cheek. He fell to the ground dead as can be and...shit, the only thing I remember afterwards was pinning Lily to the side of the van, yelling at her to drop it. I must have scared the hell outta her, because she did exactly that. I...well, after that was said and done, we decided on leaving her behind, and that’s when she called me out for being a murderer. It didn’t matter at that point anyways, as I already explained it to everyone on what I did back then, and Carley backed me up as well. Shit, I still remember what Lily said just as we got into the RV.

“Please! I don’t want them to turn me into...one of those things! I don’t want to die!”

It was bad, but I couldn’t trust her at that point. Hell, no one could...for all we know, she could have stolen the RV and left us to die if we brought her with. When you’re in some deep shit, there has to be a line drawn in the sand, and you have to do something when someone crosses it. So...well...I don’t regret it...but...well, I only hope that those bastards didn’t get her like they did with Larry and Mark.

 

So after a bit of driving, we managed to find ourselves a train. Completely in-tact, save for the rest of it that was derailed, and….well maybe a few remnants of The Seven Hour War. Duck was still in some bad shape despite being patched up by Katjaa...he didn’t have long to live as is...so despite everything, Kenny wanted the train up and running. I decided to try and look for a way to get it running, until I met Chuck.

Chuck was a hobo, living in the train before the Seven Hour War began, hell even before the Portal Storms and everything. He seemed...friendly enough, so I got him over to the others to introduce himself, and things went smoothly from there. I’ll skip through the other details and say that, yeah, we got the train moving, used the map to get us to Savannah...and along the way...well...Duck died of his wounds. We had to stop the train after I convinced Kenny to do so...Katjaa killed herself soon after and, well, I helped him bury the bodies. It was...it was an emotional moment for him. Tried to do my best to ease it up on him, but...well I mean, what can you do when you watch your son and wife die in front of your eyes? It messes you up, badly. Afterwards, when Kenny and I got back to the train, I heard Clementine ask if she was gonna die.

“You’re not gonna die.” I told her sternly.

“...You don’t know that…” She told me. I asked who told her this, she told me Chuck told her...and I was reasonably pissed at that moment. I confronted the old guy when he told me, upfront, that she wouldn’t survive as a kid. He saw too many kids die, and he’d rather not see another share the same fate. And...well...he was right on that, so I asked him what I should do.

“Get her to fire a gun. And cut that mop of hair down to size, because that stuff would be velcro for anything that has the smarts to grab her.”

So...I did just that.

I taught her how to fire a pistol - using one of my own as an example - and I cut her hair down to two little pigtails. I was actually a little proud of myself for doing a good job on her hair. It felt rewarding, nonetheless...but there was that sense of guilt that she’d have to grow up in something like this.

Anyways, along the way we met two other survivors, Christa and Omid, who were trying to make their way to Savannah as well after hearing the rebel from earlier. Seems like this guy, or group of people, were trying to get everyone in Georgia to get over to Savannah for evacuation, which...well, being me, it was sketchy at first. Once we finally made it to Savannah was when we realized everything was all for nothin’.

The whole place was a ghost town, shelled to shit thanks to...who knows what. That recording they were talking about was nothing more than a pre-recorded message. All of this shit was recent as well...seemed to me that the Combine were trying to keep pressure on the rebels, and it was working out for them so far. We managed to get into the town, the only issue was that we were dealing with hordes of Headcrab Zombies and god knows what else. We barely escaped as is, but Kenny still wanted to find a boat soon after we found a good place to hide. It was a bad idea, but...well...I couldn’t leave my best friend to die searching for something that may not even work. I told Clementine to stay with Carley, Christa and Omid as we tried to find a way out of Savannah.

This is where Molly comes into play.

Molly was a former resident of Crawford, a small area within Savannah. She ambushed me and Kenny while we were searching for a boat, only to find that Clementine had followed us regardlessly and stopped her soon after. When we finally got to asking her what the hell happened, she gave us all the details.

As the rebels were trying to get any and every refugee out towards Black Mesa East, someone ratted them out. A Loyalist. Or a group of Loyalists anyways. They told the Combine all about the operation here, and they sent Overwatch Strike Teams to finish them off. They shelled the whole city first, turning a lot of the rebels into Zombies, before they sent in the Hunters to kill off any stragglers. Those that were able to make it out with any functional boat were chased off by the Combine’s newest force: The Overwatch Transhuman Armament. I think we sat there for a few good minutes trying to figure out what the hell the OTA consisted of, when we were chased off by Headcrab Zombies. I had to slip through the sewers - a rebel’s favorite hidey hole these days, if I’m not wrong - and...well that’s when I came across a few of them that were still alive. Surprising part was the fact that they weren’t agitated as soon as they saw me, in fact they were relieved to see another human with them. Turns out that they were the only surviving members of the attack, as even the Loyalists were taken away by the Combine as soon as they turned Savannah out. They were kind enough, even telling me that there could be a few boats left that weren’t taken out of commission by the Hunters when they arrived, and I told them about what was happening with my own group. Eventually we all agreed on trying to help one-another out by trying to grab supplies in the school for the trip, while their medic helped out with my group of people.

Soon enough as day turned to night I decided that this would be the right time to move out...even brought Clementine with me when she asked to join, because...well...she needed the experience.

We did what we could, got a battery for a boat, even got some food and supplies, but we ran into a bit of trouble soon afterwards. While the Zombies distracted us from really getting a whole lot of supplies, the Combine were making their way over towards Savannah. Turns out that when you alert a Hunter and kill a few of them at the Motor Inn, they won’t forget that stuff. They tracked us all the way down to the railway that led to Savannah, and sent out a hunting party to finish off anyone they found. We only learned about this once we got back to the house with the battery and supplies…

...That’s when we saw our first contact with the OTA.

We stayed hidden as best as we could and waited until morning before we decided to move out...that’s...that’s when Clementine disappeared on me. She mentioned earlier on how she wanted to find her parents here in Savannah, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her about them...and...I regretted not telling her afterwards, when I realized she wasn’t around. I looked up and down for her, all over the house and outside...until I heard her radio crackling in the distance, over the fence. I climbed over it and what do I see? Her had, and her radio, sitting next to a pile of trash...I made my way over there, nearly picking up the radio when I noticed something strange about the pile of trash next to it. I lifted up the cardboard piled next to it when a Headcrab Zombie bursted out from it, surprising me pretty good. It got my arm with a nice swipe, but I was able to take it down easily. Then...well...I heard someone speaking on Clementine’s walkie-talkie...and it pissed me off more than anything.

 **“This is Unit 502 of Civil Protection, Sector 45, Sub-sector 2. I have one Non-Citizen in my custody, location is marked at...uh...Residential Sector, former Hotel of Sub-City 2. Please Respond.”** I don’t really know how I reacted to hearing that...human-like voice speaking through Clementine’s radio, but I then heard her yell out for me. She was told to shut up by this...Civil Protection Unit or what have you. So...well...after Kenny and the others got back, I told them what happened. Everyone agreed to go find her, even now since...well...our boat was damaged by something. I still don’t know what exactly do this day, but I’m assuming an OTA patrol found it, and disabled it just to be safe.

Getting back on track, we made our way to the hotel where...well...we thought Clementine was being held in, anyways, until we managed to get where I first met those rebels. They were gone, with one of them lying dead near the entrance to the place. Turns out they were raided, and they scrambled to get their asses outta there. One obviously didn't make it, but...well, that’s what happens I guess. We climb our way to the top of the building through the elevator shaft when we saw...god knows how many Headcrab Zombies hobbling through the streets. Turns out that train of ours attracted a hell-of-a-lot of Xenian Wildlife, which mostly consisted of Zombies, Bullsquids, Antlions…

...And our favorite, familiar Gargantua.

Things were going to hell real fast, basically. The whole city became this war zone between The Combine, Zombies, Antlions, and the Xenian Wildlife that managed to make their way here. It got so bad that, by the time Kenny, Christa, Omid, Carley and I made it towards the hotel, we saw them bringing in the heavy guns - Striders, Helicopters, anything to take down the large swarm of things that were already taking over the city. At one point Kenny and Carley got trapped outside with a group of those damn things, when Christa had to be pulled out from a hotel building.

“Find the girl! We’ll be fine!”

“Don’t you go giving up, Lee! We’ll do okay!”

Those were the last things I heard from them before they disappeared into that building.

Afterwards, Christa, Omid and I were the only ones that made it to the hotel...but the street below was flooded with Headcrab Zombies. I told them to stay back, get the hell outta Savannah, and...well, that was the last I saw them as well.

I know I’m probably skipping a few details, but I want to give ya an idea on what happened here, without putting you two to sleep.

 

After I got to ground level...I was nothing but pissed. I had nothin’ to lose except for that little girl...so I grabbed a butcher’s cleaver I had before, a shard of glass, and I walked straight into that horde. I couldn’t tell ya how many I killed before I got into the hotel itself, but it could be a new record if you don’t compare it to Gordon Freeman. When I got to the room they were staying in...well...I was held at gunpoint, by a guy wearing a metal gasmask. He didn’t have anything special on him, just that gasmask alone...with maybe some rebel gear on him, I guess. He sat me down on the chair in the room, and he took his gas mask off to reveal his face. Surprisingly, it looked like any other face…he looked human alright.

But I think that man lost his humanity a long time ago.

He told me his story, about how he lost his wife and kids to the wildlife when they started invading, how he practically lost everything until he found us. He told me how he heard the stories of our little group from Clementine, how he took a mask off of a dead CP officer and branded himself some crazed policeman or something...it was sad, but in more ways enough he was just fucked in the head. I saw Clementine sneak out of her room as this guy held me up at gunpoint, telling me how he’d induct her into the ‘Civil Worker’s Union’ or whatever, making her work the rest of her life like the rest of those people in the cities...told me it would "Give her a good life..." It was a load of bullshit is what it was...

Anyways,  as he told me that she wouldn’t hurt a fly is when she sent my cleaver into his shoulder...I...don’t remember much after that. I remember I was pissed...I’m talking to the point that you could kill a man and not regret it. Well...when I came to, that’s exactly what happened. I choked the man out, killed him right then and there...

and then I realized that Clementine was hurt.

She was shot during the initial skirmish of the Combine, when she was taken away by this guy...she….god she was in so much pain after she did what she did. I picked her up and brought her down to street level...sprinted past all those damn zombies as Hunters and Antlions and Combine and Striders and everything was just...beating the hell out of one another. It was like the Seven Hour War hadn’t ended...but the only thing I had on my mind was getting Clementine to safety.

We...reached a small store, closed the shutters, and I sat her down to get a look at her wound. It...it was bad...she...god she was bleeding bad. At this point she started crying, despite trying her best not to...she was strong like that...a puzzle...but she was strong. I sat next to her, trying my best to keep the bleeding from getting any worse…

but...it...it was too late…

so I did what I thought was best...I stayed by her side, comforting her, stroking her hair, doing anything I could to make it easy on her…

the last thing I heard from her…

 

Gimmie a second…

 

Sorry...she...her last words were…

“Will I get to see my parents again…?”

I gave her my best answer I could...trying my best not to...break down in front of her.

“....Yes, Sweetpea...you’ll see them soon...don’t worry...it’ll be alright…”

 

She died...moments later...in my arms…

 

I...Jesus I sat there for a good long time, hugging her...I felt a whole range of things back then...I wanted to just sit there and cry, I wanted to grab a gun and just fire at every single bastard I saw...I tried to revive her at one point...but nothing worked…

So...after I got the will to carry her body out of Savannah...I buried her...gave her a proper funeral...made a makeshift cross for her, and I left her hat on top of it...I did whatever I could to mark her grave in the most unique way I could...until I saw Kenny and Carley coming down from the hill. They ran towards me and...well, as soon as they saw the grave, they knew what happened...and they tried their best to keep me from going mad.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

 

Lee sits back in his spot for a moment, letting out a small sigh.

“Those two kept me in line for twenty whole years...without them...hell...I don’t think I would be here today…”

“Jesus…” Rico muttered. “I...shit, man, I’m sorry we brought this up.”

“You didn’t know.” Lee responded. “Sides...you both were confused as to how the hell she was back here and how I recognized her...better to give you both a clear picture rather than leave ya in the dark…”

“Aye...but...damn, I get we lost family back then but...that’s rough...sorry for your loss, mate.” says Nigel, looking guilty as ever.

“It’s alright…”

After a bit of silence between the three, Rico would finally speak up.

“...You know what I think of all this?”

“Shoot.” Says Lee.

“I think this may as well be a second chance if anything. I mean, hell, She showed up with Gordon Freeman, someone we thought died back in Black Mesa...he shows up twenty years later with someone you thought was dead. They were both considered dead, yet here they are, with Gordon doing god-knows-what in Nova Prospekt, and that Clementine girl sleeping in your sleeping bag. To me, that’s something we can't really explain. Who the hell knows, really...Scientist back over in White Forest tell us that the Combine are some sort of Multi-Universal Empire or some shit, so...honestly...who really knows. She could be someone that’s literally from a different dimension or something, or hell she may even be from the past, I don’t know.”

“Mate, you’re sounding more crazy than me, and I usually like to come to strange conclusions.” says Nigel.

“Well...these are some crazy times…” Lee would move a bit. “Hell, Gordon doesn’t even look like he’s aged one bit since Black Mesa...that should tell you something.”

“Yeah...anyways, point being, this little girl of yours is back. There’s no changing that. We’ll do our best to help ya out, Anna and the others included, but...well…” Rico pauses for a moment, before he just shakes his head. “Damnit, I honestly don’t know what else to say here…”

“It’s alright.” says Lee. “...I’m...honestly just glad to see Clementine again...after all these years…despite all of this unexplained shit happening all around.”

“Aye...come on...let’s all get some rest…We can try figuring this out in the morning.” Says Rico.

“Agreed.” Says Nigel.

“Yeah. Get some rest you two.” Lee and the others would stand themselves up soon after that, and they make their way over towards the sleeping bags. One by one, they would begin to climb into their bags, with Lee choosing one closest to the sleeping Clementine. He looks at her for a moment, thinking on how strange this all was, before he just pushes the thought out of his mind, replacing it with a more optimistic outlook on things.

_“Goodnight, sweetpea.” He says quietly, before he turns around and slowly falls asleep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, it was kinda rushed towards the end of that chapter, I understand. To be quite honest I'm thinking of probably changing it up a bit and leaving some info in a sort of 'beta-section' of writing I've been keeping, for a future release of chapters I've rewritten prior similar to what you would think of the Beta Half-Life 2 Story line. Again, though, that may be a ways away. Anyways as I stated before this may be the longest chapter here (for now anyways), seeing as how it surpasses even Nova Prospekt part 2 and Ravenholm Remorse, despite using a few phrases from the Walking Dead Games here and there and what not. From here on out, though, this will primarily focus on Clementine once the events of Nova Prospekt pass (for those that haven't seen that part of the 13-year old game, Gordon and Alyx blow up the only localized teleporter within Nova Prospekt, and in turn the entire facility itself, leading to the revolt to occur within City 17 soon after.) I have big plans like always, and like always, I hope you all enjoy this Crossover that No One Asked For.
> 
> Until then, I'll see you all next chapter!


	11. Chapter 8: On-route back to City Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having reunited with old friends and making new company, Clementine finds herself moving once again to the infamous capital of the Universal Union stationed here on earth: The dreaded City Seventeen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeey long time no see...kinda.  
> So this chapter was a bit of some work, due to free time being restricted here and there in the light of work and, well, finals being about 4 weeks away and what not. But worry not! I'm still gonna try my best to get this story done, but as I said before, don't expect any speedy releases like the last few months. Also GOD DAYAM, We passed 50,000 words on this! Woo! I should probably celebrate for this kind of stuff, but eh, hell if I know what to celebrate with.
> 
> Anyways, I gotta give a shout out to my boys Ironknife, Mossino, InOx and Herb Runner for providing me the characters Rico Valdez, Lucy, Lexi and Annabelle Clyde. If I never met them I would have never gotten to know their fine-ass rebel characters. Anyways I hope you all enjoy this shit so far, as I'm excited to start work on the next chapter! (I mean, hey, I always loved the idea of Clementine finding herself in the middle of all this shit, so it should be interesting to say the least!)
> 
> Until then, Stay frosty.

“ _The Freeman is triumphant! We must make haste to the City Seventeen, immediately!”_

 

Clementine would be awoken by the sudden yelling of the Vortigaunts, their chant being heard throughout the whole cave. She sits herself up to see Lee, Rico, and the others standing in front of a small group of Vortigaunts. All of them, save for the Vorts, looked as if they had just woken up as well.

“...Not to sound like an ass, mates, but could ya please explain this all in English? Some of us are still waking up here...” Nigel would groan, rubbing his face soon afterwards in order to wake himself up further. Most of rebels looked like they were going to pass out at a moment's notice, while others just seemed disgruntled about being woken up at this late of an hour. All of that would dissipate once the lead Vortigaunt steps forward and begins to speak

“The Alyx Vance and the Freeman have accomplished their goal. Nova Prospekt is no more. The revolution shall begin now.”

“...It's only been a few hours since he just left. How can you all be so sure of that?” Asks Lexi. Clementine, curious as to what they were all talking about, would proceed to climb out of her sleeping bag and quietly walks her way over to the main group. She stands herself right next to Lee as the two groups spoke to one another, rubbing her eyes a little bit. Lee, on the other hand, would look down at the sleepy girl as she woke herself up.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

“...Morning…” Clementine let's out a quiet yawn soon afterwards. “...What's going on?”

“That's what we're trying to find out…” As soon as Lee refocuses on the group, Anna would come bursting on to the scene.

“Guys! They're not kidding! The whole place is up in smoke!”

“Bullshit!” Nigel yells in response. “I want to see this for myself!” As soon as the Australian makes a mad dash for the exit, all but the Vortigaunts would follow.

 

The whole prison was in ruins, as the group saw from the shore. Antlions flooded the compound as distant explosions turned what's left of the facility into a burning pile of rubble. Further ahead a huge plume of smoke rose into the air, covering the full moon entirely as bits and pieces of combine technology littered the sandy shoreline.

“Holy shit…” Lucy would exclaim under her breath.

“The mad man actually did it…” mutters Rico. As everyone tried to wrap their heads around the extent of what just happened, Clementine would finally break the silence that formed around the group.

“...So...what are we going to do now?”

Rico, Anna, Nigel, and the others look at one another for a moment, before Rico finally takes the lead.

“Nigel, you and Lexi get the transports ready to move.”

“...Christ, we're really gonna jump start this shit…” Nigel mutters. He then backs away from the rest, nodding to Rico before he motions Lexi to follow.

“Lucy, you’re gonna help me gather the supplies and load them up onto the transports.”

“Okay…” Lucy responds in a timid manner. She too would run back to the cave’s entrance following this command, and before long Rico turns his attention to Anna.

“Anna, you’re in charge of getting everyone mobilized. That includes Old Man Lee here and his people.”

“Already ahead of ya on that, but I'll help these two out.” Anna responds.

“Alright then. Don't take too long, understand? Once we move out, we're not gonna stop for anything.”

“Aww, not even for a small drinking break?” Anna responds with a smirk.

“Not even that. Drivers will have shifts. We're moving out now.”

Anna grunts a bit in response.

“Well, make sure that you keep it down then. A girl like me needs her beauty sleep, plus then some.”

“No promises.”

Once everything was said and done, Lee would bring Clementine back into the cave to gather their things. As they did so, Nigel and Lexi would bring in three armored transports, moving them into a position that allowed the rest to quickly board with supplies in hand.

In all honesty they were only reconstructed Combine APCs fitted with modified AR2s and adorned with the various insignia of Rebel origin. Their armor consists of scrap metal, bits of Combine APC armor, rebar, and any other piece of metal the Rebels could get their hands on, all shuffled together to make for a large make-shift carrier of sorts. Their design was more in favor of transporting large groups of individuals, rather than being used for offensive strikes, as the back half of the APC was a seating area fit for about six to seven individuals, plus some extra room for food, water, ammunition, and anything else one could think of stockpiling.

Lee would help Clementine pack a bag just for her, stuffing bits of food, two bottles of water, and several clips of ammunition for both her MP7 and her USP Match into each compartment. Once he reaffirms how heavy it was, he hands it over to Clementine, who struggles to strap it around herself at first.

“Do you need any help?” Lee asks, noting her struggling attempts to carry the backpack.

“I think I got it. It's pretty heavy though…”

“I know it is, sweet pea, but it'll have to make do until we get to City Seventeen.”

“Okay…”

Eventually the four would meet up with Anna and Lucy, who motions to the both of them to come over to raven-haired woman.

“Hey, listen, this trip’s gonna be...well it’s not gonna be a smooth ride going out to City Seventeen, so...well, I thought I’d give the girl Lucy’s old outfit.” She proceeds to pull out a small rebel outfit fit for any girl of the Resistance, complete with MPF-Grade Kevlar Vest  with a Chest Rig to boot, and various straps, belts, and pouches to go along with it.

“It may be a little big...but it should protect her, at any rate.” Says Lucy.

“Thank you. Really, you didn’t have to do this.” Lee says in a humble manner, taking the outfit into his arms.

“Don’t worry about it. We look after each other here.” Anna says with a warm smile. Soon he turns to Clementine with the outfit in hand. She notices it, and a look of uncertainty spreads across her face.

“...Will I have to…?”

“Yes, sweetpea, you’re gonna have to put it on. We’ll get you somewhere private, don’t worry.

“Alright. Just...I don’t want to leave my hat.”

“We won’t leave your hat, don’t you worry.”

 

Once Lee found a reasonably private spot for Clementine to change, he hands her the outfit and motions for her to go. He then turns around and keeps an eye out in case anyone happens to stumble upon her. After a short bit of waiting, he hears her give the OK, and turns around to see how she looks.

The outfit was...rather large, to say the least. The belt helped with keeping her jeans up, but the Boots were a little too large for her, and the upper shirt’s sleeves covered her hands. Her chest rig was also slightly too big for her as well, as it covered a large majority of her chest plus her stomach. Otherwise, she looked like your average Rebel ready for action. Lee holds back a small chuckle as he gets a good look at her, to which she responds by pouting at him.

“It’s not funny! It’s just...too big!”

“Alright, alright it’s all good, Clementine. Here, we’ll cut the sleeves and jeans down to size when we get back up to the main area, how does that sound?”

“...It sounds better than my plan.”

“And what plan was that?” Lee would ask, both in amusement and genuine curiosity.

“...I don’t know.” She said, now having that oh-so-familiar expression that Lee picked up on back at St. John's. That same expression of innocent, feigned-ignorance that kept reminding him that she may - or may not be - the same Clementine from then...

 

Soon after the two of them were prepped and ready to go, Nigel would climb out of the Transport.

“Alright, people! We’re ready to move out, let's go!”

“About time, Zeke.” Anna says. “I thought I’d die of old age before you got everything ready.”

“Well I could have given ya another twenty years to wait, how’s that sound?” Nigel says with a smirk. Anna would shake her head in turn and climbs into Rico’s transport. Rico, in turn, would step out of his position in order to make a quick announcement.

“Alright people, we’re gonna have to split this thing three ways! Two vorts in each transport, no more than five! Nigel and Lexi have Transport 1, Me, Lucy and Anna have Transport 2, and Kenny and Carley have Transport 3! Keep it orderly, people, we don’t want this taking forever!”

“Make haste, humans! The Freeman requires us, at the City Seventeen!” Shouts the Vortigaunt, who quickly enters Nigel’s transport. Lee then looks down at Clementine for a moment.

“...Well, who do you want to ride with?”

“Um…” She pauses for a moment, looking at the three vehicles. On one end, she wanted to get to know the rebels a little better, especially Rico and Anna. On the other hand, she wanted to recollect with Kenny and Carley, despite them acting...differently and looking as old as Lee. On the third hand, she wouldn’t mind riding with Nigel, as he seemed...cheery, at best. After a few moment, she finally decides to ride in Kenny and Carley’s transport with Lee, and so the two make their way inside, sitting next to the one-eyed man himself as Carley took her place in the passenger seat.

“Well I’ll be damned…” Kenny mutters. “She really does look like her, huh?”

“Yep…” says Lee, trying to keep the chat to the minimum. Unfortunately he forgot just how inquisitive Kenny can get.

“...So, your name is also Clementine, right?”

“...Yeah...why? Is there another girl with my name here?” She asked curiously.

“Uh...no.”

Soon enough the transport jerks forward, and Rico’s voice can be heard through the Transport’s CB Radio.

“Alright, we’re moving. Follow my lead and keep a good distance apart. That means you too, Nigel.”

“Oi, you don’t need to worry about jack-shit! I got this!” Nigel shouts through the radio.

“Like that last time, with the patrol in City Eight?” Anna says in a sarcastic, slightly-snarky tone.

“Anna I swear to God.” Nigel finishes, causing Anna to chuckle through the radio.

“You never cease to entertain me, Zeke.”

“Neither do you, Ann. For now, though...let’s play some music.” Soon afterwards, after a brief pause followed by what sounded like Nigel rummaging through something...a bit of music begins to emanate from his transport. Eventually, Rico would finally respond after it plays a bit.

“...Is…Is that the Midnight Riders?”

“Oh, thank god I thought I was the only one that listened to them!” Nigel shouted through his radio, causing Rico to burst out laughing.

“...Wait, who are the Midnight Riders?” Lucy would ask in the background, genuinely confused about the whole deal.

“Oh, this was way before your time, Luce.” Says Nigel. “They were this...ah, you’ll figure it out when we get rollin’.”

“Nigel, I didn’t realize you had some shit taste in music.” Anna responds.

“Oh don’t be such a baby, Ann. You’ll learn to love my tastes soon enough.”

“Alright you two, cut the chatter.” Rico finally says over the radio. “And Nigel, make sure to at least turn it down a bit. I’m sure your girlfriend doesn’t want her ears blasted out like yours.”

Eventually, the Transports would make their way out of the cove and onto a shallow stretch of shoreline. They would continue on this path for quite a bit, until they reach around towards a small dirt roadway that leads up onto the mainland. There they would all be able to get a clear view of Nova Prospekt - or at least what’s left of it - as Dropships begin to descend onto the ruined facility.

“Damn. They really tore the hell outta the place.” Rico says through the radio.

“Well, what do you expect? Antlions will cause all sorts of hell if you let them.” Nigel responds. “They’re tenacious like that.”

“Let’s just hope they don’t spot us on the way out.” Lexi would say in the background, to which Nigel responds with a reassuring comment.

Eventually Clementine would watch as one Dropship deploys a Strider just outside the main entrance, whereas it would begin to fire upon the large insects almost immediately.

“Striders.” Carly would say into her radio. “Right outside their little fort.”

“Yeah, I see ‘em.” Rico responds. “We should be good. Not many of them patrol the highway anyways, that’s for the OTA to handle.”

 

Eventually as time wore on, Clementine would be lulled to sleep by the soft drone of the Transport engine, and the movements made as it rode along the road. While the little girl slept on Lee’s side, Kenny would just stare at her for what seemed like an eternity...studying her almost, like a rebel studying his weapon.

“So...she’s the real deal, huh?”

Lee hesitates to answer his question honestly. On one hand he actually wanted to believe this was the case and say yes...yet on the other hand, he had no honest idea if this was actually Clementine sitting next to him, or just another girl that looked way too similar to her.

“...I don’t know, Kenny.”

“How the hell do you not know? Look at her, man...same hat, same hair, same eyes and everything. That ain’t no mere coincidence.”

“I know…” He sighs and leans back a bit, adjusting his arm around Clementine as she slept.

“For the longest time since she got here, I've tried to wrap my head around this whole deal...and...well, it sounds crazy, but I think I’m starting to believe Rico on what he’s theorizing.”

“Which is?” Kenny asked inquisitively, leaning back as well in preparation for Lee’s answer.

“...That she’s...from a different place.”

“Sounds like a lot of bullshit.”

“It does, but how else can we really explain this shit, Kenny? We can’t even explain how Gordon got here looking like how he does...Plus, hell, she knows a lot about...our past...it’s just all strange…”

“Well, if she knows how you two met, then she’s convinced me. If not...well...ya know…” Kenny looks down for a moment, as if what he suggested was rather controversial. Before Lee could even think on what he meant by that, Carley would join in on the conversation.

“You know what I think? I think she’s just some lucky miracle, if anything. Same looks, same voice, same attitude, just...slightly different memories. I honestly doubt, though, that she would be some sort of Combine Synth, if that’s what you’re suggesting Kenny.”

“What? No...hell no that’s not what I mean.” Kenny retorts. “Besides, the Combine are too damn overt when it comes to stuff like that. We would've noticed she was some sort of synth a mile away if that was the case.”

“That’s what it sounded like from here.”

After a prolonged silence ensured, Lee would be the one to break the ice once again, lowering his voice as to not wake up Clementine.

“So...you all think the Vorts are right about this?”

“Hell if I know. All I know is that we’re all heading towards City Seventeen to help beat the shit out of the Combine.” Kenny readjusts himself soon afterwards to face the small windows that lined the sides of the transports.  
“If anything, I’m just hoping to knock a few heads together if it means actually making a difference in all this shit.”

“You and me both…” Lee would respond with a tired expression. “I just want all of this to be over…”

“Hey, let’s keep it down for a bit. For the girl’s sake.” Carley would shout from the driver’s seat.

“Yeah, says the girl shouting from the driver’s seat…”

 

In the first transport, Rico would be driving silently as Anna slept away at the passenger’s seat, keeping an eye on the road ahead as the sun slowly began to rise above the sea. It would have been a beautiful sight to see, were it not for the junk that littered the shoreline and the recession of the Ocean as a whole.

Then he spots a faint glimmer in the distance, quickly moving out of sight as he drove onwards.

He feels his chest tighten as his instincts tell him something was up, and he quickly taps Anna’s shoulder. This wakes her up, of course, pissed as anyone else as she was roused from her sleep.

“Ahg...damnit, Rico, I was having a good dream…”

“Get up. Something doesn’t feel right here, keep your eyes open.” Anna groans and yawns a bit as she wakes herself up, not quite understanding what Rico meant what he said.

“...What are you even talking about?”

“Something’s out there. No idea what it was but I gotta feeling that it wasn't entirely friendly.”

As they continue on the road, Rico would reach over to the radio.

“Everyone, keep your eyes open and stay alert, we’re not alone out here.”

“Copy that.” Nigel would respond. “Though, to clarify, what exactly did you see?”

“No idea, but I doubt it was a friendly. We best pick up the-” He would be cut off by a synthetic roar of sorts, just around the corner. Almost immediately, it makes it's appearance known as it strode out from around the road.

What Rico saw was a gigantic, three-legged synth with a large organic cannon attached to its underside, it's light brown carapace covered in Combine insignia.

“OH SHIT!” He yells at the top if his lungs

“STRIDER!!!”

The Strider lets out another mechanical alert before it begins to open fire on the convoy. Rico swerved his transport in an eratic fashion in order to make himself a harder target to hit, but due to the size of the transport, it made little difference. The Strider's cannon would tear through the hull, and various screams would emit from the back end of the transport.

“GET OFF THE ROAD, NOW!” Anna screams, and Rico takes a harsh turn left, sending the convoy out onto the shoreline nearby.

 

“Oh SHIT!” Carley yells as Rico’s transport was fired upon, the ambush catching her completely off-guard.

“It's a Strider! Everyone, move, now!” Nigel would yell in his radio. They then watch as Rico’s transport swerved off onto the shoreline, and Nigel’s transport soon followed after them.

“Everyone! Hold on!”

As soon as she said that, Carley would swerve left onto the shoreline, nearly rolling over the transport as she did. Clementine, having been awoken by the initial sharp turn,  finds herself yelling from the sound of Gunfire from both sides; She saw as Nigel stood near the end of his transport firing at the Strider as it gave pursuit, watching in horror as it inched closer and closer to the convoy.

“Lee! Keep her secure, I'm gonna do some crazy shit!” Carley shouts

“What are you going on about, Carley?!” Lee yells back.

“JUST KEEP A GOOD HOLD ON HER!!” Quickly and without further questioning, Lee would secure Clementine in her seat, before he began to hold her in place.

“Hold on tight, Clementine!” Lee yells. Soon enough she feels the Transport veering to the left as Carley made another sharp turn.

“OoooOOOOH SHIIIT!!!” Kenny yells as he holds himself in place, once again feeling the transport nearly rolling over as she splits off from the main group. This, in turn, catches the Strider’s attention as it redirects itself towards Carley’s transport.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?!” Rico yells into the radio.

“Distracting it!” Carley responds. “Someone has to do something!”

“For fucks sake, mate!” Nigel would chip in. “We don’t have shit to take on a Strider! You’re gonna get yourselves killed there!”

“Are you kidding me?! Whatever happened to the ‘be prepared for anything’ idea?!”

After a prolonged silence, she would hear Nigel mutter a curse, followed by something along the lines of “Hand me that damn thing, will ya?” As she drove past rock outcroppings and old, wrecked cars the Strider gains more and more ground, penetrating the hull of the transport with High-Power Pulse Fire.

“Jesus! What are you guys doing over there, we’re getting torn apart!”

“Oi! Don’t fuckin’ blame us for your idea!” Nigel yells over the radio. With that said, Clementine would watch as a stray missile manages to hit the Strider in the side, causing it to roar out in pain. It turns its attention to Nigel’s Transport, as the Australian himself holds onto a large rocket launcher similar to what Gordon used. Almost immediately, it gives chase to his own transport.

“Aaaaaah shit, go go GO GO!!!” Nigel yells to his driver, his voice being heard in the background of the radio call. Soon enough Clementine would watch in terror as the Strider fired a charged shot out of its organic cannon, sending Nigel’s transport flying. It rolls over a few times before stopping on a nearby rock. Soon afterwards Rico’s own transport would screech to a halt, conveniently placing itself behind cover, and both Rico and Anna scramble out of their transports, followed by what Vortigaunts and Refugees that were inside. Soon enough the group would begin to open fire on the Strider fruitlessly as it diverted its attention to the aggressors. Carley would watch the whole thing go down, before she silently curses to herself and slams on the breaks, nearly throwing the transport’s passengers forward.

“What the hell are you doing, Carley?!” Yells Kenny, absolutely furious.

“We’re not abandoning people!” Carly yells back, turning her attention to Lee and Clementine.

“Lee! Take the girl and get her somewhere safe!”

“You sure this is the smartest thing to do?!” Lee yelled as he began to unstrap Clementine from her seat.

“Just go!”

 

Meanwhile, Nigel climbs out of the wreckage with Lexi held tightly in his arms. He watches as the Strider sent its long, metallic limb into the hood of the transport, effectively rendering it useless as it fires upon the Rebels that had engaged it. He quickly moves into cover, setting the unconscious Lexi down gently before he grabbed the Rocket Launcher he used from the transport.

“Alright, ya little bastard, ya wanna go? I’ll fuckin’ give ya somethin to shoot.” He mutters to himself as he loads a missile into the launcher. Carefully, he moves out of cover, watching as the Strider continued its assault on the Rebels ahead.  
“That’s right, ya cheeky fucka’, keep focusin’ on them, pay no mind to the guy right next to ya.”

He aims the sights down onto the Strider’s belly-cannon.

“Thaaat’s it, just stay still for a moment...juuuust for a second…” As he was about to pull the trigger, it refocuses its attention on Carley’s vehicle, spotting the rebels as they quickly climbed out of the armored vehicle. There it sees Clementine as she climbs out with Lee, and almost immediately it sends out a ear-piercing screech, as if it was sending out a high-priority alert.

“Oh now ya god-damn done it!” Nigel yells.  
“EAT SHIT, YA THREE-LEGGED BASTARD!”

As soon as he yells this, he pulls the trigger and lets loose a guided missile straight into the Strider’s underbelly. It lets out a screech as its organic cannon was ripped off, and immediately turns its attention back towards Nigel.

“Ah, shit I should have planned this out better.” He mutters to himself. He then finds himself sprinting away towards cover as an enraged Strider strode towards him, guns blazing as he screamed like a madman.

During that time Lee quickly brings Clementine away from the fighting and towards a more secure area where cover was bountiful. Clementine, scared and disorientated by the fighting and the Strider, would in turn look up to her old guardian.

“W-What are we going to do, Lee?!”

“We’re gonna get you outta here, Hon!"

“But...what about the others?!”

Lee hesitates for a moment, knowing now that he had a tough decision to make. He obviously wasn’t going to leave the girl alone in all of this, but at the same time the situation was extremely dangerous; A Strider would easily eviscerate the both of them if they were cornered. He looks over to see a lone RPG laying on the ground just between a dead Rebel and Carley’s Transport, obviously overlooked by the others as they fought the synthetic monstrosity. Finally, he makes up his mind.

“Clementine, listen to me.” Lee says in a cold, quick manner. “I’m gonna need you to do exactly what I say, when I say. Do you understand?”

“...Okay...what are we gonna do?” She asks nervously.

“You see that transport there? When I say go, I want you to run as fast as you can, and stay behind it at all times. If that Strider comes running towards you, you hide. Don’t ever run out in the open until I say so, got it?”

“O-Okay...I...I got it.”

Noticing her nervous behaviour, Lee would put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, sweetpea. You’ll be okay…I’ll keep ya safe.”

Once that was said and done, Lee would peek over what cover they were hiding behind to see the Strider still focusing its attention on Nigel, who was in a full sprint as he zipped from rock to rock, narrowly dodging gunfire. As it turned itself away from the two of them, Lee quickly sets himself down, and motions Clementine to get up.

“...Now! Go!”

In an instant the two ran as quickly as they could towards the transport, with Lee helping Clementine keep her pace on par with his. Half-way across, the Strider spots the two sprinting across the field, primarily Clementine as she was pulled towards the transport and agajn it releases another shrill alert. Within a matter of seconds it bends itself downwards, and charges towards the two survivors, raining down hell on the both of them. Just then another rocket manages to hit the backside of the Strider, causing it to stumble forward. Behind it, Rico would be aiming a Rocket Launcher at it, smoke rising from the barrel as he moved back into cover.

“Go! We got ya covered!”

With a confirmatory nod, Lee quickly sprints to the nearby Rocket Launcher that laid near the transport and takes it into hand. Praying that there was a Rocket loaded into the launcher, he aims it towards the heavily-damaged Strider as it engaged with the rebels on all sides. It's synthetic blood leaked from the cracks of its metal carapace as it gunned down rebel after rebel with High Powered Dark Matter rounds. Once Lee lines up the shot, he takes a deep breath, and pulls the trigger.

The rocket manages to hit it's target, and with a final synthetic screech, the Strider comes tumbling down. As the dust settled and the Strider laid dead at their feet, Lee throws the rocket launcher aside and quickly makes his way over to Clementine, who instantly runs out from behind the transport.

“You did it! We did it!”

“Yeah...we did…” Lee would say, exhausted from the events prior. He then turns his attention to Rico, Kenny and the others as they check on their dead and wounded.

“Yep! We got fucked on that one!” Nigel yells, looking around to see if any more reinforcements were heading their way.

“Calm down, Nigel.” Lucy would respond. “We're doing good, alright?”

“I doubt it, Luce. Damn thing didn't send out one, but two bloody alerts. Both of them whenever they saw the girl.” He points to Clementine as he says this, causing her to shoot back behind Lee.

“Hey, it isn't her fault, ease up on her!” Lee would speak up.

“I ain't saying it's her fault, mate, but there's a reason why that damn Strider was focusin’ on the both of ya!”

“Doesn't matter now.” Rico finally interjects, walking in between both Lee and Nigel.

“...Fine. I'll get Lexi back on her feet and into the transport.”

Soon after saying that, Nigel walks away from the group that had gathered there, just as Kenny, Carley, and Anna approach the two.

“We've taken some heavy losses here.” says Kenny. “Two Vorts are dead, one wounded, and we got several of our own guys dead as well.”

“Anyone wounded?” Rico asks, to which Kenny responds with a shake of the head.

“...Shit…”

“It was an ambush. We couldn't have expected a Strider to be all the way out here.” says Carley, looking over to the now-deceased Strider that laid before them.

“Yeah? Well that means only one thing: They're amping things up.” Rico then grabs what he can carry - scrap from the dead Strider, weapons and gear from fallen rebels, and anything else of value - and looks back at the others.

“Things aren't gonna get easier from here on out. Grab what you can, get in a transport and get moving.”

“Things are gonna get a little cramped since we lost one of our cars…” Kenny mutters.

“I'll share your transport.” Anna speaks up.

“You sure?”

“We just survived a Strider attack, so yeah, I'm pretty sure. Sides…” She looks over to Clementine for a moment. “...Wouldn't mind getting to know little Clem here a little more.”

Clementine, in response to Anna’s statement, would give her a shy, yet cheerful smile. All the while Lee would nod accordingly.

“Of course. Right now though, we should just get what we can carry and get moving, before more show up.”

“A-men to that. Come on, people, let's get a move on here!”

 

Once the rebels grabbed what they could and assign themselves to what transports remain, they quickly drive themselves out of the shoreline and back onto the road.

The trip consisted of a few stops along the way, mainly resting periods as they continued the drive to City 17. During that time they manage to make a detour off the main highway as Combine Patrols increased, as a possible response to the loss of Nova Prospekt. During that time, Annabelle and Clementine would get to know one another as the others rested up for City 17.

“So…” She asked semi-awkwardly. “...How’d you come to know Lee?”

“...Um...well, he stumbled into my backyard one day looking for help, and he brought me to someplace safe...for a bit, at least.”

“Nothing really lasts, huh kiddo?”

“I guess not…” Noting her slightly depressed and saddened attitude, Anna would attempt to cheer her up a bit.

“That doesn't just mean all good things come to an end. Most of the time, bad things don't last forever, either.”

“...Yeah…”

 

After a bit of silence passes, Clementine finally looks down for a moment...and then Anna comes up with an idea, if anything.

“...You had anyone you like? Or, well, know anyone?”

“...Um...there was this one boy, Duck...he was nice. I once put a beetle under his pillow when he called my hat stupid!”

Anna chuckles lightly at that statement, responding with “Aye, ‘atta girl.” Clementine giggles in turn.

"What about you? You have anyone you like? Or...uh...'like-like?'"

"Like-like?" Anna asked, out of both amusement and confusion.

"You know, like when two people really, really like each other, like my Mom and Dad."

"Aaaaah you mean 'Love'...well...I guess not, to be honest with you."

"Why not?" Clementine asks, to which Anna responds with a small sigh.

"It's...well, it's complicated. Some people, like Rico...I guess I like, yeah...but there's also people I just consider family. Like Nigel and Lucy...they're like little siblings to me, the two of 'em"

"Siblings? Like...Brothers and Sisters?"

"Yes, love. Like brothers and sisters."

"Oh..." Clementine pauses for a moment, looking down at the make-shift 'floor' of the transport they sat in, letting out a small sigh that seemed to almost mimic Anna's

"I wish I had a sister...like, a big sister, or maybe a little sister, I guess." With a small chuckle, Anna would rest a hand on Clementine's back

"Trust me, darlin', you don't know how much of a pain it can be to deal with a brother or a sister...but...yeah, I can get that."

After another prolonged bit of silence, Clementine looks back up at Anna as she proceeded to lean back into her spot.

“So...you and Mister...Rico, right? Are you tw-”

“No.” Anna quickly answers. “I’d rather not talk about that, darlin’.

“Oh...okay then…”

“Listen, it’s just complicated, alright? Something you don’t need to worry about.”

"But why's it complicated?" Clementine would ask again, the naivety of her attitude speaking volumes to Anna herself.

"Because some times, you just want to be alone in the world, alright? That's for me, anyways..." She faces the girl once again, this time giving her following response a rather stoic, slightly heartfelt expression behind it.  
"You're still a bit too young to understand, but I'll tell ya this: You will always have the choice on if you want to spend your life with someone you've known forever or not. But that's for when you get older."

"...Well...I don't want to choose being alone." The little girl responds, looking over to Lee as he slept uncomfortably in his own spot.  
"Being alone is scary...so...I'd rather stay with Lee."

With that said, another silence would cover the whole of the transport, and soon enough her mind turns towards more somber thoughts.  
“...I miss Duck...and...a lot of other people I knew…”

“...We all miss a lot of people, darlin’, nothing to be ashamed of there…”

"...Really? Who?"

Anna paused for a moment, letting out a hesitant breath of air.  
"His name was William. William Trenty...or just 'Will'. Former leader of our merry band of misfits."

"...What happened to him?"

"He died...a raid took us by surprise, he was the last one to go...bought us enough time to get the hell outta dodge."

Clementine would sit back for a moment, thinking on how Will must have went out. Her thoughts soon turned to Lee...

“I…” Clementine hesitated for a moment, looking over towards Lee as he slept away right next to her. She then leans close to Anna, and whispers a bit.

“...I-I had to shoot Lee...when he was….when he was bitten by...by a walker...”

For a moment, Anna attempts to take in this information. She looks over at Lee again as he slept, thinking that it sounded...well, out of this world. Soon enough she comes up with the same conclusion everyone else had: These are extraordinary times, and not everything can be explained clearly. Soon afterwards she starts to hear Clementine sobbing quietly.

“I...he...h-he looked so sad...a-and I d-didn't want him to turn into a walker...I...he…”

Before the little girl could even finish, Anna would wrap an arm around her, and brings her close.

“Shh, shh, everything’s gonna be alright, darl’. Nothing here’s your fault, it's okay…”

Clementine couldn't contain it anymore. Despite knowing that Lee was right next to her, she couldn't help but cry as those experiences played out in her head once again, in all of their detail. As Clementine cries into Anna’s side, the brown-haired woman begins to stroke the girl’s short,  curly hair as she begins to sing in a soft, soothing tone.

_“Of all the money...that e’er I spent, I spent in good company…”_

Lee would begin to wake up to the sound of Anna’s soothing song, as would Kenny and a few others that rode in the transport with them.

_“And all the harm...that e’er I done, alas it was to none but me…”_

Everyone would fall silent as Anna continued to sing. Even Clementine would remain quiet as she listened closely to that song of hers…

_“And all I’ve done...for want of wit, to memory now I can’t recall…”_

As Anna pauses for the last line, she looks over towards the misty-eyed Clementine, and wipes the tears off of her cheeks with her old, worn jacket.

_“So fill to me the parting glass...Goodnight and joy be with...you all.”_

A quiet, mutual calm would fill the air soon afterwards once Anna had finished, with Clementine having calmed down quite a bit. Lee, on the other hand, quietly questioned what was going on as his eyes met Anna’s, an unspoken message being relayed to him.

It was obvious that the two were going to have to talk about the girl once they reached City Seventeen.

And the timing could've never been so perfect.

“Eyes open, folks. We're finally back home.” Says Rico through the radio.

“Some things never change, huh?” Nigel responds in the background as the city itself came into view.

 

The city was surrounded by walls made of Combine Metal nearly forty feet high, with old, almost decrepit-looking buildings sitting just on the edges. What surprised Clementine the most, though, was the towering spire that sat at the center of the entire city, so tall that the top-half of the building disappeared within the clouds. She would watch as these walls moved outwards from the city, as if they had a mind of their own...

Then she sees the smoke billowing into the air.

As the convoy approached one of the rebel-held entryways, they would see just how intense the fighting has gotten within the span of a single day. Combine Dropships flew through the air as the city itself was wracked with rubble, debris, bodies, and the likes. One group of Rebels manage to hail the convoy before they could drive further into the city.

“It's best to leave the cars out here, folks! Combine have the whole city locked down with suppression guns and other nasty little things! Head on down through the sewers and make your way to Kleiner's lab, that's where most of us are gathering!”

“Alright, thanks a lot man!” Rico would yell, before he grabs the radio.

“Alright, people, we're going on foot from here on out...so...anyone know where Kleiner’s lab is?”

“No damn idea.” Carley would respond, as would a majority of the passengers. One Vortigaunt, though, would manage to speak up.

“The Vortessence shall lead us to the Isaac Kleiner. Come, we must make haste.”

Soon enough the group would proceed to exit their transports, grabbing what weapons, ammo, and supplies they could carry on then before trekking off into the city.

“...Alright...I think this may be the Industrial section of City 17.” Says Rico, taking in his surroundings around him.

“If I remember correctly...sewers should be a few blocks ahead, on our right. All we’ll need to do then is follow the graffiti until the Vorts here can get us to the safehouse. Until then, keep your eyes and ears open. We're in a war zone, after all…”

Clementine follows Lee closely as they made their way to the Sewers, the distant sound of gunfire heightening her paranoia and alertness. Lee, on the other hand, kept his cool despite constantly scanning the buildings that now lay in ruins, more for acting as a sort of role model for Clementine in spite of the fighting that raged on.

“...Lee?” Clementine asks in a hushed tone as she tugs on his outfit

“Yes Clementine?”

“...Will we get to see Gordon again?”

“I'm sure we will, sweetpea, I'm positive about that.”

“...Okay...let's stay safe until we find him, then."

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, we'll keep ya safe. Always.”

 

Eventually, the group manages to find an entryway into the sewers, and as they followed the graffiti to Kleiner's lab, Anna would pull Lee away from the group.

“Woah, hey, what the hell!?” Lee asks, surprised by Anna’s sudden action.

“Keep it down.” Anna hissed. “I wanted to talk to you, away from the girl.”

Hesitantly, Lee nods, yet at the same time he had a rising suspicion that she was going to ask him the same thing that Kenny, Rico, Carley and Nigel had asked him earlier. What she would say next takes him completely by surprise.

“Listen, I don't know who the hell she is, or if she's even from here, but she’s seen shit and done shit no kid should ever have to do.” She pauses for a moment. “...For God’s sake, she shot someone...apparently you, but...that’s not something you should need to do at that age.”

“So what are you trying to say here?”

“That you best do your damndest to make sure she doesn't go through shit like that again.”

Lee remains silent once the conversation ends. He looks over at Clementine as she pinched her nose, obviously repulsed by the smell of the old sewers...still acting like herself, despite the change in circumstances. He then turns back to Anna, this time looking determined as ever.

“I know what I need to do here, and I know what I should do to keep shit from going downhill.”

“I hope you're right about that.”

“I am right about that.”

 

As time wore on and the group continued their trek down the abandoned, old sewers they manage to come across an exit marked in rebel graffiti.

“Back to the surface I suppose.” Rico would mutter.

“Better than sticking to the Sewers…” Lexi mutters as well.

 

When they arrive onto the surface, things weren't all that pretty. The streets were practically desolate, save for the occasional APC wreck that dotted the streets ahead. Distant gunfire pierced the air as the group quickly rushed to a nearby alleyway.

“Alright...Alright, I think his lab is down the street, past that Combine gate.” Rico whispers to the group, pointing towards a large, metallic gate covered in splotches of blood. The single, dead Civil Protection unit that laid strewn over the barricade itself didn't help in easing tensions, but it was better than nothing. On his motion, the group quickly runs over towards the gate, with Rico sending Anna up first. Once she was in a secure position, she would motion Clementine to come first, grabbing the little girl’s hand once she was close enough, followed by Lee soon afterwards.

As she brought him up on the barricade, a nearby explosion shakes the ground behind the others, which would be followed up by intense gunfire.

“Oh that's just what we needed!” Nigel yells, aiming his SMG down the street. Anna, Lee, and Clementine would look up to see a full-on street battle taking place between two squads of Civil Protection near a checkpoint and a ragtag group of rebels which hole themselves up in front of the train station. Rico turns back to the three for a quick moment.

“Listen! Behind ya is the lab! Get yourselves over there, we’ll find a way around!”

“Bu-” Clementine would be cut off by more gunfire as the group scattered to cover, returning fire in the process.

“Get going! _We'll be fine, kiddo!_ ” Kenny yells, and Lee would soon take a hold of her hand.

“Come on, Clementine, we need to go!”

He takes her over to the other side of the barrier, looking back to see Anna still on top of the gate.

“Don't do anything stupid, you understand?! I didn't stick with you all for twenty years just to watch your asses get kicked!”

“You're talking to the god damn legends, Anna! The only ass that's gonna be kicked is an unlucky CP or two!” Rico yells back, followed by Nigel letting out a sort of Australian Battlecry.

“God damn, I thought I would regret this!” Nigel shouts, “But I can't believe I forgot how fun this shit was! Woo!”

“Don't get too excited, Nige! We're not gonna dive into this shit like the good ole days! Let's get moving!”

 

Once the group had moved out of danger, Anna would join up with Clementine and Lee nearest to the building marked with a Lambda. She motions for them to follow her, climbing through concrete debris and into the ruined building that laid in front of them. Eventually, they would come across a small supply cache next to a vending machine, marked with an obvious, bright-orange Lambda.

“...A dead end?” asks Clementine.

“Nah, darlin', this is the oldest trick in the book.” She walks up to the vending machine, inspecting it for a bit.

“How do you know it’s not just a, well...just a vending machine?” Lee would ask, just as curious as Clementine.

“What, you've never been in the cities before? We used to have this stuff here in the industrial center of City Seventeen, real basic kind of hidden entrance.” She responds.

“Like a spy?” Clementine asks, to which Anna would respond with a light chuckle.

“Yeah, like a spy.” Soon enough she would pound on the side of the Vending machine, looking for a seam of some sorts on the side of it. Eventually she looks at the coin dispenser, thinks up of an idea, and takes out a small coin of sorts, marked with a Universal Union insignia on both sides. She inserts the coin into the vending machine, pats on it, and watches as the front swings open to reveal a secret entryway into a small laboratory of sorts.

“There we are, see?” She asks with a smug, confident smile. “Simple as that.”

As the two walk in, they would notice an old man in a dirty white lab coat digging through a few boxes.

“Lamarr? Come out Lamarr, we mustn't dilly dally here!”

“...Uh...Excuse me?” Anna would ask, causing the man to let out a frightened shout. He’d grab a shotgun out of instinct, causing the three to duck down.

“Woah! Hey! We’re not Combine!”  
“Oh...oh dear, I’m...terribly sorry! For a minute, I suspected the Combine to have raided this whole facility!”

The man would lower his shotgun, letting out a long sigh of relief.

“So...I’m assuming you’re Doctor Isaac Kleiner?” Anna would ask, crossing her arms as she did.

“Why yes, I am! And you must be...part of Barney’s group, yes?”

“Uh...no, we come from the Vort camp, near Nova Prospekt.” Says Lee this time, stepping forward a bit in order to introduce themselves.

“I’m Lee. The woman with the brown hair and...damaged eye i-”

“Anna.” Anna would quickly cut Lee off.

“Uh...yeah, Anna. And this here is Clementine.”

“...Hello…” Clementine would peep from behind Lee, and Doctor Kleiner would take a few steps forward.

“My word...so Eli was correct! My my, this changes many things, many things indeed! A Scientific Breakthrough!”

“Yeah let’s not get into the specifics, Doc.” Lee interrupts, looking around for a moment to see just how secure this secret lab was.

“Ah, yes of course, my apologies. Unfortunately, things are...well, I’m afraid things may be...rather ‘explosive’ out in the city. Barney is leading a full-fledged revolt against the dastardly Combine as we speak, in response to...well…”

“What? You keep pausing here, it’s not giving us much info.”

“Well, that’s the thing. You see, we were expecting Gordon and Alyx to arrive here at any moment...but it’s already been a day since his teleport out of the facility…”

“...What? But...he should have gotten out...right?” Clementine asks,  to which Doctor Kleiner hesitates for a moment. Before they could speak more, the ground would shake before them as the nearby buildings were pounded with canister fire from the Citadel itself.

“Oh my, Oh dear or dear me!” Doctor Kleiner responds.

“Great, they’re shelling the city. Not all that surprising…” Anna retorts, letting out a disgruntled sigh in the process. Soon enough she looks over to Lee, then back to Clementine.

“...How secret is this place?”

“Hmm? Oh...well, so far we have yet to encounter any Civil Protection units within this sector...and none have found the way inside, for now at least…”

“That works just enough. We need to get back out there and find the others.”

“...If that's what you really want to do, I'll stick with Clementine here.” Lee would speak up, to which Clementine shakes her head.

“No! Both of you should stay, it’s...it’s really dangerous out there!”

Anna would kneel down next to Clementine, putting a hand on her cheek.

“Listen, I know you want me to stay...but you should know that that’s not how I roll.” She stands herself up and pulls out her own .357 Magnum.

“I’ve known those misfits longer than I can remember the Seven Hour War. Love ‘em, hate ‘em, it doesn’t matter...they’re the only guys I can really give a shit about. Not gonna let Zeke get munched on by a zombie or let Rico get his damn head blown off just yet.” She then proceeds to make her way over to the doorway, stopping just in front of it when Lee taps her arm.

“Here.” He says, holding out a shotgun of his own. “You’ll need it, in case things get hairy out there.”

“I appreciate it, Lee, but I can handle myself. Sides, this gun hasn’t failed me yet.” She says, with a cocky smirk. In turn, Lee would nod and steps away from her, taking to standing next to Clementine instead.

“Stay safe. Keep the good doctor company while I’m out.”

_And just like that, she exits the laboratory quietly, giving the two a somber wave on the walk out._


	12. Chapter 9: The Citadel Beckons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having made it to Kleiner's Laboratory, Lee and Clementine hole themselves up with Doctor Kleiner and his pet headcrab, Lamarr...for a bit, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeeeeey it's yo boy again here with another chapter. I know it's been a legit month since the last update, but with Exams coming around and general procrastination, I haven't gotten around much to updating this story. But, well, here we are! It's short (If you consider 8 pages short), but it should put things together here and there. I decided to go for a less action-orientated chapter this time around, somewhat like how Lee, Clementine and the others spent their time at the Motor Inn, so I hope you all enjoy the change-up a bit!

 

It's only been two days since Clementine arrived in City 17. Two whole days and the fighting had intensified to the point that it surpassed beyond her own comprehension.

Buildings were being shelled left and right while skirmishes broke out in the weaving alleyways and narrow streets that cut through the city.

Suppressive devices pounded the surrounding city blocks near the hidden laboratory, destroying rebel strongholds and hideouts in their wake.

Combine Stabilization Teams cleaned up what remained of failed Rebel skirmishes, gunning down the wounded and dying with little to no remorse.

Cremators staggered down the decrepit pathways leading to various sectors of the city, burning what bodies and rubble they found. Headcrab Zombies stumbled in and out of formerly-held Rebel buildings, only to be incinerated by the Cremators that passed on through.

All of these events spiraled into a singular, harsh struggle as the Resistance made their push towards the Citadel. The hectic battles and combat would only seem to fade away for a bit once Anna returned momentarily to relay Lee the hide-out that the others linked up with.

“Alright, so...are they comin’ back here?” Lee asked once Anna finished her explanation. She sighs, and shakes her head to confirm his question.

“Not likely. Combine are pressing down hard, everyone’s being called in to hold the line.”

“Right...well, are you gonna go out with them?”

“Oh hell no.” Anna quickly answered. “I’ve been done with the front lines for nearly thirteen years, Lee. I lost an eye and my best finger to those Combine shit-stains, and I rather not risk losing the other eye, or more importantly: my own life.”

“I understand. Doesn’t make you bad in my eyes if you don’t want to go out to die.” Lee says.

“...Look, I’m gonna try to run supplies back and forth for everyone, at least until things get too hectic to handle. If I don’t show up when food starts to dry up, I’ll leave a map of supply caches for you to use. Just don’t get your ass shot if you ever have to go out there. For her sake.”

“You don’t need to remind me. Now get a move on.”

The brown-haired woman left Lee, Clementine and Dr. Kleiner about two days worth of food, and a map marked with scavenging locations she scrounged up from an abandoned Rebel holdout. About a day later is when Lee notices that they were dangerously low on food, which dumbfounded him at first. Eventually he and Clementine would come to realize that some of the food was also shared with his pet headcrab, Lamarr, who causes an uproar between them and Dr. Kleiner when the tamed parasite was first found. It took Lee quite a bit of effort to not shoot it outright, due to the danger they posed to humans, but eventually they would come to learn that, despite her aggressive behaviour to newcomers, Lamarr was rather docile.

“...Isn’t that thing...dangerous?” Clementine had asked when spotting the headcrab munching on some rations.

“Certainly not!” Dr. Kleiner would respond. “Lamarr here is debeaked and completely harmless, my dear! Of course, the worst she can do is attempt to...couple...with your head. Fruitlessly, I might add!”

“Oh…” The little girl would proceed to scoot away from the tamed headcrab at the mention of ‘fruitless coupling,’ not wanting to experience anything of the sort. Lee, on the other hand, would give her a reassuring look that silently told her not to worry about it.

 

That was nearly two days ago, and as the battle for City 17 rages on, Clementine would find herself peeking through the wooden boards that covered the windows into Kleiner’s hideout. She would watch as the occasional group of Rebels sprinted towards the train station, listening carefully to the distant gunfire that interrupted the constant, dull drone of electronics that sat in Kleiner’s lab and the speeches that Breen gave out on a nearby holoscreen. She’d begin to slowly focus on his voice out of everything else, feeling as if she was listening to a parent scolding his child as he spoke on the current events, and on unification.

“Clementine!” Lee would yell from under the platform, causing Clementine to snap out of her daze. “How many times do I have to remind ya, stay away from the windows!”

“Sorry! Sorry! I just...I wanted to keep watch!” Clementine would shout back, climbing down from the upper platform with a guilty expression.

“...Look, I get that things here aren’t...exactly entertaining, I get it. But we can’t risk getting seen here, alright sweetpea? If they ever saw you moving around up there, it would spell trouble for all of us.”

“But you would be able to get us out, right?” Clementine would ask, a hopeful expression replacing her earlier form of guilt

“...I wouldn’t know, Clementine. In a small place like this, we’d have trouble trying to get out. That’s why it’s important that we can’t get seen, alright?”

“...Okay…

Lee would kneel down right next to Clementine as she uttered her response, noting that things weren’t looking too bright. So, he tried to brighten up the mood a bit, as he had done years before.

“Hey, don't worry about it, sweet pea. We’ll be just fine, you can trust me on that.”

“...What about the others, like Kenny and Carley? And that...woman with the brown hair, Anna...what about them?”

“They're off in a different place helping out our guys. They’ll be just fine, like us.”

“But shouldn't we go and help them?”

Clementine’s tone of voice would give off a familiar air of worry and doubt, almost like the time she had asked about his Family. Despite seeing things no kid should ever have to see, Lee was quietly calmed by her familiar sense of innocence that persisted in the face of everything that has happened to her, even _if_ she wasn't the Clementine he knew her to be. To answer her question, though, he simply leans back a bit and looks over to the computer systems.

“I wish we could, but it's too dangerous out there as is...I’m sure they're doing fine, though. They can handle themselves pretty well.”

“But you said it was dangerous outside. Wouldn't that mean they would need help?”

“Well, they have a lot more people helping them out where they are. They're able to hold their own against the Combine due to all those helping hands, but we're only just three people. You understand what I’m saying?”

“Yeah, I think I do…”

“Good.” Lee would say with a warm, familiar smile. “You're a smart girl, Clementine. Smarter than most kids I've seen back in the day.”

“...Not smart enough…” Clementine would slump down soon afterwards, looking down at her leg.

“And why’s that?”

“...When we were heading to that camp...Gordon left me in this house, with a gun...then those...people, in the grey suits...they found me...and…I thought I was going to die…”

Lee remains silent as she told him.about the events that transpired back on the road, how she ran away from Combine Soldiers as they fired as her, how she was almost captured until Gordon came to the rescue and how he treated her wound. For a small bit of time, he felt a slow, all-too-familiar anger rising within his chest as she finished her story. He manages to keep his calm, though, in order to give Clementine something that would keep her spirits up.

“That doesn't mean you're not smart, Clementine. You still thought of ways to get away, you didn't give up and you tried your best to get yourself over to safety. Being smart isn’t just about beating some big bad guy...It's also about thinking your way out of a situation, planning ahead, learning from your mistakes - that’s what being smart really is. And you're as smart as anyone can be, maybe even smarter, sweet pea.”

“You really think so?”

“Oh, I know so. Keeping that hair short? Blocking up doors and windows? That’s smart, and I’m proud that you still know this kind of stuff.”

Clementine would smile as Lee spoke to her, even lighting up a little more when he mentions her short hair.

“You taught me that, Lee!”

“Well, that’s good!” Lee would ruffle Clementine’s short, curly hair soon afterwards. “See? Like I said, that's what being smart is all about.”

With that said, he brings Clementine over to a small area which they converted into a small barracks of sort. Two sleeping bags sat adjacent to one another, surrounded by boxes moved in a strategic fashion to also act as cover were the worse-case scenario ever occur. Next to those sleeping bags was a pitiful pile of food and supplies, about half a day’s worth at best, with barely any water to last the day.

“...Look, I have to go and get us some more food.” Lee says in a low, quiet voice. “In the meantime...why don't you sort out our stuff? Keep an eye on it so that ‘pet’ of Doctor Kleiner’s doesn't leave us starving.”

“...Okay...just…” Clementine hesitates for a moment, thinking back to the days spent at the Motor Inn, how Lee would go out hunting for food just for her and the others. She always worried that he would never come back and, despite being in good company, she always had that deep, subtle fear that he'd never come back. It was the same sort of fear she was feeling now despite the change in scenery, that fear that he may get hurt outside of the hideout with no one there to help him. After a small silence, she looks up at Lee with a rather worried expression.

“...Don’t get hurt...okay?”

With a confident, calming smile, Lee would kneel down to Clementine’s height.

“Don’t you worry. I have luck on my side here. We both do.”

“...Then stay lucky, okay? Please…?”

“I will, sweetpea. I promise you that.”

 

A few hours after Lee left the compound in search of supplies, Clementine would find herself milling about within the laboratory, messing with the miniature teleporter that Doctor Kleiner had sitting closest to the hidden entrance, smiling as she teleported things like books, hulu dolls, plant pots and even her own hat at one point.

That is, until she accidentally breaks it by setting in both a pot and a book in the receptacle.

The machine crackled and fizzed as it activated the teleport, and once it was complete the whole thing sparked immensely. The objects she had placed in originally were nowhere to be seen on the other side, and when she pressed the button to activated, she would get no response from it. Coincidentally Doctor Kleiner would walk in moments after this occurred.

“Ah! I see you’re marvelling at our model teleport! A beauty of engineering is it not?”

Clementine quickly turns around to see Kleiner walking towards her and the now-disabled teleporter, unaware of its current state. She quickly stands in front of the larger end of the model teleporter, and nods quickly.

“Uh...yeah. It’s pretty cool.” She remarks, trying to do her best to keep the attention off of the teleporter.

“Ah, well would you like to see a demonstration? I’m sure a bright, young mind like yours would be eager to learn about how our form of teleportation works!” Isaac says in excitement, whereas Clementine quickly shakes her head and steps closer to the teleporter.

“U-uh no thank you! I...uh...already saw how it works!”

“Really now?” Kleiner muses. “Well...would you still like an explanation? If you were...dare I say… _’poking about’_ ”

He gives Clementine a rather suspicious look, causing her to worry if she’s been found out. Her fears would be swept aside when he lets off a hearty laugh...then immediately brought back to surface soon afterwards.

“Oh dear, what a spectacle! You remind me of Gordon himself, running about, messing with objects so casually!” With another heart-felt laugh, he walks up to the broken teleporter model, placing a hand on its fried displacement unit.

“Don’t worry, my dear. I’m not angry, believe you me! I just find it...rather nostalgic, I guess…”

“Nostalgic?” Clementine asks, still a little nervous despite being told that things were fine. “Like...watching something you like? Like an old movie?”

“...Almost. It’s more on reflecting on the past...the good times, if you will.”

Kleiner’s optimistic, cheerful manner falters for a moment, showing off a more mournful side to him. He quickly shakes it off, instead replacing it with a more intellectual disposition.

“...Anyways, shall I show you how our Xenian Entanglement Slingshot Relay works? I assure you it will be of a simple matter.”

“Um...okay…” Clementine says. “...Does it involve a lot of math?”

“Well...there are some equations involved within the process of displacement, but I can safely say that the brunt of the matter will not be the requirement of Physics, or the use of Calculus. Mostly.”

 

Clementine’s mind would be kept off of the stressful thoughts floating in her mind as Kleiner gave a detailed explanation on how Local Teleportation worked. For the most part, she seemed fascinated with the concept of travelling from one point to another almost instantaneously. She would occasionally ask some questions pertaining to if she would ever be able to go back to where she came from, which causes Kleiner to question her origins. Before he could inquire further, Lee would return with a backpack full of supplies, mainly food and water, but also a shotgun with two boxes of shells and some medical supplies. He looks over to Kleiner as he stood in front of a cross-legged Clementine.

“So uh...what’s going on here?”

“Lee!” Clementine would yell. She quickly stands herself up and runs over to the old man, hugging him tightly. Kleiner, on the other hand, would casually walk over to the two.

“Ah! You’ve returned! I was just teaching dear Clementine here on the basis of our Xenian Entanglement Slingshot Relay! I must say, she makes for quite the astute pupil!”

“Right, can you explain that in simplified English?” Asks Lee. “I may of been a History Professor a lifetime ago, but I’m not a scientist here…”

“It stands for the Teleporter, Lee!” Says Clementine as she finally lets go. “He’s teaching me how it works.”

“Well that’s nice of him, but…”

Lee would look at Kleiner for a moment.

“...Isn’t she a bit too young to understand this stuff?”

“I can understand it!” She says, almost pouting at the statement.

“Really now?” Lee asks. “So how does it work?”

“Using a...um...a slingshot array, we can sling ourselves around...uh…’Xen’...and get ourselves to another place from here!”

“Well...color me impressed. You learned all of that from Kleiner here, sweetpea?”

“Yeah! Though, there's a lot of math involved with it…”

“That's normal when it comes to stuff like that.” Lee responds in a matter-of-factly tone of voice. He then takes several rations out from a large backpack.

“Now...who wants some dinner?”

 

Three days afterwards and the fighting hasn't died down a bit. With supplies outside running scarce, Lee had resorted to the option he wasn't quite fond of. As a last resort he begun prepping Clementine for the trek to where the others had begun to hold out, packing her things into a backpack she could easily carry.

That is, until they hear something in the teleporter room.

At first, it sounded like a motor was fried...that soon changes into an amalgamation of noise, as if something had just been thrown out of the other side of Kleiner’s teleporter. Then comes an all-too-familiar voice, accompanied by a pounding on the door.

“Come on, Doctor Kleiner, let us out!”

With a cautious glance, Lee motions Clementine to hide behind something as Dr. Kleiner grabbed the SPAS-12 he kept near the room, slowly opening the door to peek inside.

“...Alyx?! Gordon?! My God, how did you get here?! And when?!”

Confused, Alyx would step forward, eyebrow arched and eyes focused.

“What’s wrong?”

“My dear...I…I had given up hope of ever seeing you again…” Kleiner would respond, adjusting his glasses in the process.

“I didn't think we were going to make it out either. I think the teleporter exploded just as we were porting out.”

As Alyx and Gordon followed Dr. Kleiner out into the main laboratory, they would see Clementine standing close to Lee, hiding behind a few crates. As soon as she sees the two, she immediately springs out from cover, and runs towards Gordon, hugging him tightly.

“Gordon! You're alright!” She then focuses her attention on Alyx, smiling gratefully

“Alyx! You're okay too!”

“Clementine?” Alyx asked. “How did you here? I thought Gordon left you back at the sandtraps…”

“She came with us.” Lee would answer, walking forward as he answered her question. Clementine, on the other hand, looks up at Gordon, excitement written all over her face.

“...And you are?” Alyx would ask inquisitively.

“Lee. I’ve been takin’ care of her this past week.”

Recognizing the name, Gordon would look at Lee for a long while, expecting him to look slightly younger than what was presented to him. Nevertheless, he would be interrupted by Alyx’s exclamation

“...Wait...a week?! But we just teleported not too long ago!”

“Hmm...fascinating…” Doctor Kleiner interjects. “It seems we’ve developed a very slow teleporter! This requires a new line of research...”

Kleiner soon debriefs Gordon and Alyx on the current situation, explaining how Barney has been spearheading the assault on the Citadel, the current situation on Eli Vance, and even allowing Dog to exit from a small storage room in front of her.

“Dog!” Alyx exclaimed, the two hugging each other.

“So there, you see? It’s not all hopeless…”

“I wish I shared your optimism, doctor…”

Before either of them could continue, the monitors nearest to the storage room would switch on, as an image of Barney appears on the front screen. Behind him, several rebels including Rico and Nigel would be sprinting by, as if preparing for another assault.

“Doc, are you there? Hey, Doc, are you there!?”

Quickly, the group approaches the monitors, with Kleiner switching on a receiver of sorts.

“Yes Barney, and we’re no longer alone! Alyx and Gordon have just arrived!”

“Well man that’s good news, I almost gave you guys up for lost!” Barney exclaims, with Clementine giving him a rather doubtful look.

“We’re planning to set up a staging area for an attack on the Citadel.”

“Gordon and Dog can head your way.” Alyx would soon respond. “I wanna get Doctor Kleiner and Clementine safer, then I’ll meet up with you.”

“No!” Clementine would shout, standing closer to Lee. “I don’t want to go without Lee!”

Surprised by this, Alyx looks at Gordon for a moment, then at Lee. Lee, on the other hand, seemed to agree with Clementine silently, making it more vocal once the attention was focused onto him.

“...I ain’t planning on leaving Clementine here, alright?” He then pauses for a moment, remembering the location Anna had told him prior.

“Wait a minute...the safehouse, with the others. Rico and Nigel, is that on the way?”

“You mean over here?” Barney would ask. “We’re being shelled left and right, you sure you got the right idea over there?”

“I know damn well what I’m doing here, man.” Lee would snap. He then turns towards Gordon and Alyx.

“I’ll go with Gordon here, and link up with the others. We’ll try and get her outta here as best as we can.

“...Well whatever you say.” Barney shouts from the receiver. “I can use all the help I can get-...Ah crap, INCOMING!!!”

“SHELLS, GET DOWN!” Another voice yells as everyone takes cover, followed up by a loud explosion in the background. The camera shakes a bit, setting it off-center, before Barney stands himself back up.

“Go on! Get going!” He yells, before the camera finally shuts off. Clementine would stand closer to Lee still as she watched Alyx approach Gordon.

“Alright, Gordon, you heard him...I’ll catch up with you as soon as I get Doctor Kleiner settled.”

“...Just a minute.” Kleiner says, walking off towards a small, cluttered corner of the Laboratory. “I can’t leave without Lamarr. Where did she get to…?”

“Oh no…” Alyx says in a ‘here we go’ tone of voice. With a small chuckle, she turns to Gordon and the others.

“Go on, Gordon, I’ll take care of this.”

With a silent nod, he then turns his attention over to Lee and Clementine, motioning them to stay close and stick together. With that said, Lee would lightly tug on Clementine’s shoulder once Gordon takes the lead.

“Come on, sweet pea. Let’s get a move-on.”

“...Okay…”


	13. Chapter 10: Delicate Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the return of Gordon and Alyx now known to them, Lee and Clementine make their way out of Kleiner's lab, in search of their former group

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey long time no see, right?
> 
> Well, blame the month-long slog of finals, work, and general procrastination mixed with the very holidays I've been celebrating
> 
> I'll level with you all here when I say I don't think this is the BEST chapter I have written up here, but as we get close to the end of this story I feel like my inspiration will pick up somewhere down the line.
> 
> As for those promised stories involving Episodes 1, 2, and 3...thaaaat may be a bit more complicated than before. I might shorten things up a bit here and there, but for the most part I want to focus more on the Walking Dead section of this so-called 'big-ass story' once those are out of the way. I wouldn't say to expect much but hey, who knows, it may very well happen.
> 
> Anyways, I wanna say thanks for waiting this bloody long for the next chapter to come out. I can't promise the next one will be coming out soon after, as winter break is starting to end and work calls at always, but I greatly appreciate the time anyone takes outta their schedule to read this fever-dream of a crossover, of which makes barely any damn sense to begin with when it comes down to it.
> 
> it's been fun though, I will admit.  
> Enjoy!!!

Chapter 10: Delicate Bonds

  


_“Those God damn Maniacs! They burned down the Donut shop! Good lord! when I get my hands on-”_

_“Mike, there’s no time! We need to get out of here, now!”_

_“But-”_

_“No buts!”_

_“...Damnit…”_

Two Civil Protection units would be seen sprinting down decrepit alleys and streetways, up until they finally slow down near an old building. They would catch their breath as the fighting raged on further back, the roar of fire being heard well within the distance.

“Jeez this is bad...this is real bad…” The First Unit says. “The Donuts...the Donuts!

“This is exactly what we should've expected!” Yells the Second Unit, throwing his hands in the air. “How the hell are two cops supposed to hold up against an angry mob?!”

“You know...I was about to ask you the same thing, Dave!” The first unit, Mike, says, pulling out his USP Match to see how much ammo was in the clip. “Yeah, real smart to send us into a riot! This is a full on Code 666! AND AT THE DONUT SHOP, NO LESS!!!”

“Mike, forget about the shop! Its gone!”

“No! I’m not gonna stop thinking about the only thing that brought actual enjoyment in our careers! Especially in a time like this!” Mike, frustrated at the thought of it, just places his hands onto his metallic forehead. “For Christ’s sake, they threw so many molotovs at it you could smell the gasoline from a mile away!”

He then proceeds to sit himself down against a nearby wall, letting out a stressed, repressed sigh.

“...I don’t even know what's going on anymore…”

“Shit...yeah now that I think about it, Dispatch already sent out the big guns, right?”

“You mean those crazy, emotionless psychopaths? Geez, Dave, what do you think? I’m sure a city-wide riot can be easily handled by a bunch of mismanaged, poorly-equipped cops with shit pay-rates.” Mike spits.

“Okay seriously, now’s not the time to be an asshole, Mike.” says Dave in an irritated manner.

“Yeah? Well we’re in a full on war zone, Dave! I have the right to be an asshole right now! They crashed into a get-together, they shoot up the whole place, THEY BURNED DOWN THE SHOP!” Mike yells. “You know what other right I have in a war zone!?”

“Yeah? What’s that, Dave?”

“I have...the right...to...damnit I had something here…” Mike scratches his head in both embarrassment and in deep thought, until the two were interrupted by the ever-encroaching sound of gunfire.

“Okay, we should go. Now.” Mike quickly responds, before the two sprint off deeper into the twisting streetways.

 

As the two ill-equipped units trekked onwards down the desolate streets, they come across something of a miracle, one that catches the both of them off-guard.

“Oh my god, is that…” Mike asks.

“It’s a Combine APC! Fully intact, as well!” Dave shouts, quickly running over towards the vehicle without a second thought in mind.

“Wh-dammit, Dave! You want to get shot!? Get back here!” Mike yells, quickly running over to Dave and the APC. Almost immediately, gunfire breaks out a few blocks ahead of them as several Combine soldiers engaged with a large, mechanical being of sorts. They watched as it threw a wrecked van at two soldiers, sending it and the two units into a nearby building.

“Good lord! Okay, give me the wheel, give me the wheel!” Mike yells, shoving Dave aside in order to place himself into the driver’s seat.

“Okay, okay!” yells Dave, backing himself into the other compartment. “I'll act as the gunner!”

“Do you even know how to operate one of those things?” yells Mike as he begins to turn over the engine.

“Of course I do! A friend of mine showed me how!”

“Who, Eddie?!”

“No, Not Eddie, a friend!”

“You know what, I'm not even gonna continue. Just keep your eyes on the...big, metal robot thing, alright?!”

“You got it!”

Once the APC sprung to life, Mike would rev its advanced engine in glee.

“Ooooh...I missed driving these things...so much…” He then focuses his attention on the mechanical being wreaking havoc in front of them as Dave fires two missiles at it

“Alright you metal bastard...how about a taste of the APC!?”

Just like that, the officer slams his foot on the acceleration, causing its wheels to skid along the pavement before the APC shot forward. The robot had little time to register what was coming at it, but the APC slams into it, sending it and the APC into a combine gate…

Once it made contact, though, the Robot immediately jumps up onto the front of the APC, slamming its fists down on the gun

“Oh shit!” Mike yells, quickly backing away from the machine as it continued its assault on the APC. The machine was faster, unfortunately, and it sends the APC into a tumble. Mike and Dave would be thrown around inside, screaming profanities until they slammed into a stop, and the faint smell of smoke began to grow stronger and stronger. Mike would be the first to let out a pained groan, realizing that the engine had caught ablaze. Struggling, the CP would attempt to get out from his spot, with Dave just recovering as well. It seemed the two were just about to get out of a situation gone bad.

Until the two started to feel the APC being lifted up, front first.

“Miiiiike?! What is going on?!”

“I don’t know, I’m freakin’ out right now, I’m freakin’ out!!” Mike yells frantically as he attempts to kick the door to the APC open. Just then they feel themselves being lifted high into the air, screaming and yelling as it threw them into a nearby building, shattering windows, concrete walls, and two other Combine Soldiers. As the chaos finally settled down and the smoke began to clear, Dave and Mike would lie on the roof of their overturned APC, groaning and moaning in pain. The last thing they both see would be the machine, pounding its fists on the ground in triumph as a rebel, a little girl, and Gordon Freeman himself made their way to the Combine Gate.

“Dave…?” Mike groaned.

“...Yeah, Mike…?” Dave would moan in response.

“...Next time...you do something like that again...and I will make you regret…” His last bit would be cut off by another pained groan, and the two would attempt to bust their way out of the now-burning APC.

  
  


“Come on now, through here!” Lee would yell as the three of them passed by the burning APC. Dog sprinted over towards the gate as they approached, opening it for the three. With a thankful nod, Gordon motions Lee and Clementine on through, just as a Combine Dropship begins to deploy right behind Dog. Seeing as how  he was under attack again, Dog focuses on the soldiers that had landed, closing the gates behind him. What Clementine sees next were soldiers being thrown around like ragdolls, one landing face-first right next to them. The last thing she sees as she’s pulled into the building nearest to them was the same dropship being grabbed by Dog, the two of them flying off, crashing and bumping into Combine structures as it attempted to get Dog off of its main body.

Once they made it in, Lee would insist on taking a small break, before sprinting their way into the train station.

“Man...I am gettin’...way too old for all of this.” Lee says with a sigh, resting himself against the wall for a moment, his tired eyes searching the ruined apartment for anything out-of-the-ordinary. Clementine, on the other hand, would lean up on the wall next to him, looking upwards at him for a moment.

“How old are you now?” Clementine asks. “Because you look...old…older than when we first met...

“Old enough to probably tell you all of modern history...probably.”

“So...are you still...thirty-seven?”

“...No sweetpea, I’m fifty-seven.”

“Fifty-seven? But...that means I would be…” She thinks back to how old she was when she first met Lee, using simple math to calculate his age...and afterwards, she would look back up at him.

“...I would be...twenty-eight?”

“Uh...yeah...it’s complicated, Clementine.” Lee would say, scratching his head as she asked more questions.

As the two continued to talk about various things and occurrences, Gordon would be drawn by a crackling, eerie tone of music near the ruined entryway of the apartment complex. Climbing over a bit of ruble, he would be surprised to see the image of an all-too-familiar G-Man, staring off into the distance with a crow flying just behind him. Before he could even observe it closely, the screen would cut to black, and the music suddenly ends right afterwards. Unnerved by yet another sighting of the G-Man, Gordon would back away from the small room that contained the TV, interrupting the two’s conversation by motioning to them, then to the nearest open exit. With another exhausted sigh, Lee pushes himself off of the wall and unholsters his SPAS-12.

“Right...back into the fire I guess.” He turns to Clementine, motioning her to stay close, before he takes the lead. Clementine does so obediently, following closely behind, with Gordon taking the rear guard.

Outside, things hadn’t quite improved. What was once a quiet apartment complex was now nothing more than a series of ruined buildings. The small playground that had sat outside previously was now in shambles; The slide was nothing more than a bunch of scrap, and whatever remained, the swings were all but destroyed, the only things remaining were the see-saw and what seemed to be part of a tic-tac-toe game, with a single wooden block missing from the entire game. Clementine would look around at the destruction of the playground, thinking back to the time she went into the local playground near Atlanta...thinking back to simpler times.

That, of course, would be interrupted by the sound of gunfire, just a few feet ahead of them.

Just several feet ahead, a Rebel would fire at two Synthetic Scanners as they descended down towards him, destroying one in the process. Gordon, quick to grab his own SPAS-12 from the HEV’s storage compartment, would shoot down the second one just as it had gotten within range of scanning the Rebel with a well-placed shot. Relieved, the Rebel runs up to the three just as they relaxed themselves.

“Well, Gordon Freeman! And about time, too!” The Rebel says in excitement, turning his attention to Lee and Clementine.

“You must be the other two that’re joining up with the others, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Well…” He looks at Clementine for a moment, the girl hiding behind Lee a little bit out of shyness, before looking back at the old rebel himself.

“...You sure you wanna bring that kid there? The whole route is a complete warzone, Striders and all.”

“She’ll be alright.” Lee insisted, giving Clementine a soft, encouraging smile. “She’s got Me and Gordon here to keep an eye on her.”

“Better than nothing, right?” The Rebel asks momentarily, before he motions the three to follow.

“Here, we got another group of people just up ahead. Just took the square not too long ago, but the Combine cut off all access to the Train Station. No way of getting in or out of the city now, unless you wanna be a hero and dive into the trainyard.”

“I’d...rather not risk that.” Lee says as he follows the Rebel with Clementine and Gordon.

Eventually, they would come across the rest of the rebels as they were attempting to tear down the holoscreen that overlooked the train station’s exit. The scene was similar to that of a group of rebels attempting to pull a statue of an estranged dictator down, were it twenty or thirty years ago; Men and Women of varying ages grasped tightly to old ropes as they tugged in unison on the Holoscreen, Breen’s face flickering in and out of existence with each hard tug. Eventually they would be triumphant in bringing the screen down, watching as it crashed into the ground and shattered into small bits of metal. They cheered ecstatically at their achievement, all oblivious to the presence of Gordon, Lee, and Clementine until the Rebel had called out to them.

“Oh my God, it’s Freeman!” One Rebel yells.

“Doctor Freeman?!” Another Rebel yells out. “We’re coming with you!”

Soon enough Gordon would have four Rebels of varying specialties following him. Having no real idea what to do with them, he looks over to Lee with a confused glance.

“...Woah, hey, don’t look at me.” Lee says, raising his hands and taking a step back. “They wanna follow you, they follow you. You’re the leader.”

 

Eventually, after getting used to silently commanding a squad of Rebels and gathering what supplies they could gather, a set of Combine gates open to reveal a three-man squad of Civil Protection units.

 **< ::CP, We have Malcontainment!::> **One yells as he readies his SMG towards the group of Rebels. Another one readies his pistol.

 **< ::DROP YOUR WEAPONS, GET ON THE GROUND, DO IT NOW!::> **The second one says in a vain attempt. Just like that the bullets begin to fly as Clementine was quickly pulled into cover by Lee, Rebels and CP clashing with one another in a skirmish similar to the ones days ago. He’d occasionally pop out from cover, firing his SPAS-12 into the opposing crowd as Gordon laid down suppressive fire with his AR2. The Metrocops didn’t stand a chance - outgunned and outnumbered, they fell one-by-one, until all that remained were the remnants of a Civil Protection force sent to quell the Rebellion. Once things had calmed down, Lee manages to stand up from his position behind what used to be the concrete barrier surrounding the monument, of which was formerly used to hold the holoscreen up. With a silent nod, Gordon motions the Rebels to move into the opening left by the Civil Protection Squad, then motions Lee and Clementine to follow closely behind.

 

What follows ends up causing more harm than good.

Up ahead, the group of seven - Gordon, Lee, Clementine, and the four Rebels that followed them - would come across a small yard dotted with black, circular devices. Two headcrabs could be seen scurrying about as another Rebel yells at them

“Watch out for the Hoppers, they’re everywhere!”

As soon as he mentions them, one would be triggered by a headcrab wandering aimlessly near it. It would hop in the air, towards where the Headcrab was scuttling, before exploding on impact. All that remained of the parasite was a small, black crater and a gorey show of yellowish blood splatter on the concrete.

“God damn…” Lee mutters as he looks down at the hole in front of them, shoddily covered up by a piece of scrap metal. He makes a mental note on the five or six Hopper Mines that sat right underneath them.

“...Yeah...there’s no way we’re going down there.” Say Lee, pointing towards the fence in front of them.

“Come on, let’s get over through here.”

“Right idea there.” One of the rebels say as they carefully stepped on the piece of scrap metal. He would be helped over by Lee, before he motions Clementine to go next.

“Just don’t look down, sweetpea, you’ll be fine.”

“...O-okay…” Clementine says sheepishly, taking small steps as she moved her way across the piece of scrap metal.

“That’s it...nice and easy...just like that…” Lee says in a coaxing manner, trying his best to keep Clementine’s mind off of the Mines below.

It didn’t help that their constant, tense bleeps signaling the approach of an unauthorized sounded as soon as she was halfway across the ‘scrap-bridge’

 _“Don’t look down...Don’t look down...Don’t...Don’t look down…”_ Clementine thought to herself as she followed Lee’s voice. Terrified of tripping or stepping in an opening, she’d finally look down to see the Hopper mines just below, all glowing red and sounding off their warnings. She feels a sharp pin of fear in her chest as she saw the Hopper Mines, similar to when she was cornered by the OTA, and almost freezes in place.

“Come on, Clementine. Keep looking at me now, alright? Don’t look down, just keep looking at me.”

She looks back up to see Lee reaching out towards her, once again coaxing her towards him. With a small, shaky breath, she finally decides to do the obvious - she takes a single step back, and decides to jump over towards Lee. Despite the distance between them being rather small, it felt like taking a leap of fate...and then she lands into Lee’s arms

“There ya go, I got ya! I got ya…” Says Lee in a calm manner. One Rebel silently sighs as the tension (if there was any) dissolved in front of them.

“Well...so much for that, right?” One Rebel says, who immediately gets the stink-eye from Lee.

“...What?” He asks, confused and slightly nervous as to if he provoked the old man.

“...Nothing. Just keep an eye out.” Says Lee as he looks back at Clementine.

“Alright, hon. I’m gonna life ya up and around that fence, alright?”

“...Alright...and...thank you, Lee.”

“Hey, it’s no problem. I always got ya.”

Afterwards, Lee would help Clementine up and over the fence, the two Rebels on the other side making sure she was let down gently. After that, Lee would then let Gordon through next, followed by the two other Rebels, then Lee last. Once they were over, the Fifth Rebel speaks up behind them.

“Hey! Be careful up ahead, whole area is being torn to hell and back by Striders!”

“Thanks for that, we will!” Says one of the Rebels, before Lee and Gordon motion them to move ahead.

 

Not even a few steps forward and they witness one Strider firing on a nearby Medic. It lets out a loud screech as it charges up its underbelly cannon, causing the Medic to fall back once it fires at a nearby wrecked car. Eventually its attention would be brought to another rebel firing at it from a ruined building, ripping the man apart with Pulse Fire as it made its way through the ruins and rubble of the city block.

“Man…” Lee mutters, looking away from the dead Rebel on the building. “Come on, we need to go, now.”

As Lee and Gordon made their way down the road, a lone CP Unit atop a watchtower surprises them, shooting an SMG down on the unsuspecting group. A few bullets manage to catch one of the Rebels, yelling in pain as she fell to the ground.

“CPs!” One rebel yells as everyone dove into cover, firing back at the CP unit as Synth Scanners brought in hopper mines to suppress the rebels below. Lee, managing to grab a Revolver off of an unfortunate Rebel, would pop out of cover for only a moment, taking aim at the CP unit above them before he takes the shot. The bullet pierces his MPF-Standard-Issued vest, the force of which sends the unit stumbling backwards until he falls over the railing, plummeting down onto the cement below with an audible crack to follow. With a short, raspy sigh, Lee then focuses on the Synth Scanners as Gordon and the rest of the Rebels refocused their attention to both the Synths, and the Hopper Mines being placed by them. They quickly dispatch any incoming Synth, and with a quick movement Gordon would use his Gravity Gun to disable any Hopper Mine that managed to plant itself down near the group. Once the fighting had died down, one Rebel finally begins to speak up.

“Alright, come on! We should cut through the Tunnels, that’ll get us over to the safehouse we have up ahead!”

“The Tunnels? You honestly expect them to still be intact after that Strider raid yesterday?” Another one yells.

“It’s the best chance we got! It’s that or deal with more damn Hoppers!”

 

Cutting through a formerly-held CP outpost, the small group of rebels begin their trek into the ruined tunnels that once connected itself to the center of City 17. As they quickly ran towards the opposite end of the partially destroyed tunnel, Clementine would hear something whirring in the distance. At first, it sounded to her like a small mower cutting grass in the distance...but as it got louder, it became more evident to her it was more than just some sort of mower. Turning around, she would let out a shriek as several small devices flew towards the group

“MANHACKS!” One Rebel yells as he fired blindly into the swarm. They would descend quickly on the group, slicing into those who were too slow to react. Others would scramble away from the swarm of machines as they sliced and cut their way into one unfortunate Rebel, surrounding her like Locusts as she attempted to swat them away with her shotgun. The chaos of it all left Clementine hesitating, staring as the Manhacks gutted the few Rebels that decided to stay back and fight them off. Her mind shifted back to St. Johns, witnessing Mark crawl down the stairs with his legs missing, then to Larry, with his head smashed by a salt-lick. Though she didn’t have quite the connection with these Rebels as she did with the survivors in Atlanta, she still felt a sickening sense of fear and dread as she watched them, one by one, being sliced apart by the razor-sharp rotors of the Manhacks. She would snap out of this trance once she feels herself being carried off by Lee, watching as Gordon and the remaining Rebels flee from the entourage of Manhacks that poured into the Tunnels. She felt herself holding on as tightly as possible, even after Lee had gotten her to safety, watching as he motioned the rest of the group into a gated area where the Manhacks wouldn’t be able to reach them, closing the door when Gordon and the remainder of the Rebels had made it.

It wouldn’t be the end of it, of course, as more Manhacks smashed through the windows of a small underpass nearby. She would hear Lee yell out in pain as one rammed into his side, falling with her in his arms as it flew towards him once again. She watched as Gordon, fast as a bolt of lighting, struck the machine down with one quick, powerful swing of his crowbar, sending it into the wall nearest to them and shattering into nothing but metallic shrapnel.

“Lee!” Clementine yells, sitting herself up and next to Lee as he held onto his wound.

“I’m alright...it’s just a scratch…” Says Lee, teeth gritting the whole way through.

“Here! Lemme get a look!” One rebel yells, sprinting over to the old man as he sat himself up next to Clementine. With a quick once-over on the wound, the Medic prepares a large medkit of sorts to be used.

“You got lucky here. If it was a few inches higher, you’d be dead in a few hours.”

“Guess...I’m a little lucky then...huh…” Asks Lee in a slow, pained manner.

“Barely…” The Medic mutters. As he cracks open the medkit, Lee notices Clementine starting to get squeamish, as if  the sight of the gel being readied made her uncomfortable.

“...What’s the matter, Clementine?”

“Nothing.” She quickly answers. “It’s just...it’ll hurt a lot...like, a big ‘ow’ kind of hurt…”

“...I know, sweetpea. I’ve been through this more times than I can remember…”

He then groans through his teeth as the gel is applied to the wound.

 

Eventually, as they cut through Civil Protection and later on through the underground tunnels, they manage to make it to the Hideout as it was being shelled by Headcrab Canisters. Lee, Gordon, and Clementine run up to the front of the gate, where a single Rebel comes running forward, ducking his head from AR2 Fire and the distant explosions of Canisters.

“Doctor Freeman?” He asks, looking at Gordon, then to Lee and Clementine. “If you guys were looking for a place to hole up, it’s not safe here anymore! They’re shelling the hell outta us!”

“Damnit!” Lee yells. “Is there any other place?! What about the others, where are they heading?!”

“We’re moving up toward another safehouse, just northwest of here! I wouldn’t try to go North by any chance, whole place is swarming with Combine!”

“Alright! We’ll head there! Gordon!” Lee then turns his attention to Gordon Freeman, pointing ahead. “You’re gonna need to go ahead from here! I’ll get Clementine here someplace safe!”

“Wait!” Clementine yells. “What if Gordon gets hurt?! Or...what if those people find us?!”

“Don’t worry about Gordon, alright? He’s been through a lot, he can handle himself pretty well, but we wouldn’t make it if we keep going his way.”

“But…” Clementine hesitates for a moment, whereas Lee finally kneels down to her level.

“Clementine, sweetpea, you have to trust me on this, alright? We have to get you outta this. Outta all of this.”

She looks at him for a moment, catching onto that sense of deja-vu she felt when he talked to her about their plan back in Savannah. There was a subtle sense of dread rising in her chest, something she felt as if things weren’t gonna go exactly as planned...but at the same time, she believed him, as she would have back months ago.

“...Okay...Will we be okay without Gordon?”

“We will be. I promise you that. Remember - we got you as our lucky charm.”

It didn’t mean much in the long run, but it comforted her nonetheless.

“Go on ahead!” The rebel on the other side of the gate yells. “I’ll send word that you’re coming through! Be careful, whole place is coming down on us!”

“Will do!” Says Lee, and he proceeds to lead Clementine down near a nearby exit, nodding to Gordon as if to silently wish him good luck. Gordon would also nod back, motioning two Rebels from his group to follow behind, before he made his way into the contested hideout.

 

Clementine could never get used to the sounds of warfare, especially here out of every other place. Granted, she remembers sneaking downstairs to spy on a movie or two that she wasn’t allowed to watch, but it wasn’t the kind of violence she sees now. It seemed so real on TV - The explosions, the gunfire, the people jumping through windows, shouting one-liners and quirky quotes.

That all changed once they finally linked up with the others.

The Four of them - Lee, Clementine, and the Two Rebels that decided to accompany them - had to weave their way through a maze of ruins, rubble, and abandoned outposts in order to catch up with the others. Holed up in a large Hospital of sorts, they manage to see Nigel and Rico laying down suppressive fire as a small group of rebels scurried themselves inside, ducking down from the occasional grenade that was lobbed into their direction.

“COME ON! GET INTO THE HOSPITAL! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!” Nigel would scream, motioning others to move as he fired blindly into an encamped squad of OTA. Lee barely had time to register what was going on until he and Clementine were dragged into cover by none other than Anna herself, an old Lever-Action Rifle held at her side.

“What in the hell are you two doing here?!” She hissed, loading up several rounds into the Rifle as she spoke.

“I should ask you the same thing!” Lee yelled back. “What the hell is going on here, what happened?!”

“Nigel and Rico’ve been trying to get anyone unable to fight outta this hellhole, but lo’ and behold, the Combine got a whiff of our shit going on out here. They’re closing in hard on us - this whole safehouse is going to shit!” She responds, shifting the subject soon afterwards once she reloaded her weapon.

“What has me pissed, is that you brought a little girl out into a goddamn War Zone! What were you thinking?!”

“We had no other choice, Annie!” Lee yells back again, this time louder than before. “The Lab was being shelled once Gordon and Eli’s Daughter made it on back!”

“Wait, Gordon’s here?!” Asked Anna in a hasty manner. “We didn’t hear shit about him, where’s he going?!”

“Where else do you think?!”

“Oh, Geez, I don’t know, Lee, maybe he’s sailing his way to a lovely isolated island out in the middle of goddamn nowhere, sipping down on a martini!?”

“Your smart-ass remarks are really helping out here!”

“You know me!”

Their conversation would be interrupted by a flurry of pulse-fire as Rico and Nigel moved back near the entrance, firing off their own flurry of rounds the whole way through.  
“Damnit, Combine are closing in!” Rico yells, noticing Lee and Clementine right next to Anna  
“Wait a damn second - Why are you two out here?!”

“Don’t matter now!” Nigel responds. “We got less than five minutes before these bastards swarm the hospital! We need to hunker down and hold them off!”  
“Well, what are we waiting for?!” Anna yells at the both of them. “Come on, let's go!!”

 

Moments later the hospital turns into a full-blown siege. Citizens scramble for cover as OTA Units pounded the outer walls of the compound. The Group - Nigel, Rico, Anna, Kenny, Carly Lexi, and Lucy - would all take up various positions within, with Nigel and Rico taking the Western side, Lucy and Lexi taking the Eastern side, Lee, Kenny, Carly and Anna directing supplies. Clementine would take place her place next to Lee, trying to help out as best as she could as the fighting intensified. OTA Soldiers would continuously storm the entryways into the Hospital, only to be driven away time and time again by heavy, suppressive fire on the Rebels’ part.

“Ya know, I think it’s a really dumbass decision on your part to bring that girl out here!” Anna would yell as she tosses a few clips towards a small group of Citizens.

“It was that, or deal with the shelling, Annie!” Yells Lee in return, looking over to Clementine as she kept behind cover.

“Hey! Granted, yeah, that wasn’t the best move on your part” yells Carly, “But we got other things to deal with! Here, hand me that-”

Then, an explosion was heard in the west wing.

“WE GOT CREMATORS!” One Citizen yells as everyone redirected their attention to the breach. Down the hallway in the west wing, a lanky, bulbous-looking creature walked through the hole made by an explosive of sorts, wielding a large, bulky weapon of sorts. It turned its attention towards the Citizens that began to fire at it, enveloping them in a bright blaze of fire and plasma. What followed next was a rush of energy as Combine Soldiers flooded the western wing, overwhelming a small majority of the defenders within. Soon enough, another explosion emits from the East Wing, and another Cremator would enter the compound, followed by a squad of OTA units. As things began to fall apart around them, Anna would motion Lee, Carly, Kenny and Clementine over to a nearby medical room, all the while ducking down from stray Pulse Fire and Cremator Fire. The four follow her lead soon after, with Lee practically carrying Clementine away from the action and into the room. Once they were inside, Anna would slam the door shut, blocking it with whatever she could find.

“This...This all went to hell in a god damn handbasket…” Anna muttered, turning around to face the four in front of her.

“Listen, this place is lost. I...I have no idea if the others are alive, but you people need to get the hell outta here. Pronto, no buts, what-ifs, or whys.”

“Yeah? Well our only plan we had here was meeting up with you...What are we gonna do now?”

For a moment, Anna seemed silent, as if she was contemplating on the situation at hand. Eventually, though, she pulls out another makeshift map similar to the one given to Lee days ago, with several marks indented in its far-right corner.

“Over here is the Railway, its the only way in and out of City 17 that won’t get you gutted alive by Antlions. We were planning on getting these Civi’s out towards it when...well, ya know...so...just get there. We’ll meet you there, and if you don’t see us by the time you get to the trains, don’t bother waiting.”

“...You absolutely sure about this?” Carly asked, with Clementine accompanying her own question.

“What about you though? Should we...wait for you?”

“...I’m as sure as anyone else trying to just...stay alive in this shit-hole.” Anna mutters, turning her attention to Clementine now.

“As for that...no, darl’. I got these guys to worry about...and I’ll be damned if I leave them behind.”

“But...what about us?” Clementine continued in a hushed whisper, as if she was worried the Combine outside would hear them.

“That’s what the route’s for.” Anna responds, focusing her attention back onto Lee.

“Stay off the roads. Cremators are gonna be crawling all over them, same goes for whatever sort of nasty synth they’re deploying now. Stay away from the Citadel - If the Striders spot you, you’re goners, you understand? And for god’s sake, Lee...keep the girl away from the worst of it, understand?”

“...Yeah...just…” Lee hesitates for a moment, trying to find the right words when Clementine finishes his sentence.

“Just stay lucky, alright?”

“Aww...don’t ya worry, darl’. Luck runs in my blood. Now get going, all of ya…”

 

With that said, Lee, Kenny, Carly and Clementine would manage their way out of the room through a window on the opposite side. Carefully, they would climb themselves down from the large building one by one as the heavy gunfire raged on within. As they climbed to ground level, they would watch as an explosion ruptured a nearby wall, sending rebels and citizens tumbling down, and giving the four a view of how the fighting was progressing.

Inside the hospital was swarming with activity, as OTA Units and Rebels clashed in firefights so intense a constant, blueish-green glow could be seen painting the walls and ceiling within, the vollies of charged pulsefire bathing the whole room above in such an array of colors. Frightened, Clementine would stand close to Lee as he motioned her to lay low and follow behind quietly.

 

_Slowly but surely, the four survivors begin their final trek towards the Trainyard, keeping their eyes on the route ahead as the gunfire behind them slowly came to a halt._


	14. Something Secret Steers Us All...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything's finally starting to come down. Gordon's heading to the Citadel, The Rebels are taking heavy loses, and Anna and the others are no where to be seen. With No Time Left to search, Lee makes a last-ditch effort with Kenny, Carley, and Clementine to reach the train station, in the hopes of escaping the war-torn streets of City 17.
> 
> But not everything goes as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I probably got some explaining to do.
> 
> Specifically as to why this chapter took so long to get out.
> 
> Well I won't lie to you folks, it's generally because of life nudging it's way in, alongside other projects I've gotten myself involved in...plus The slow lose of interest as it. BUT thanks to a realization that it's been nearly 2 god damn months since I updated this fic, a regrowth in interest due in part to...various sources, and the aforementioned projects I've been working on, I finally got off of my lazy ass and got back into the vibe.
> 
> As you can all tell, we're finally about to reach the end of this story, and for once I actually feel pretty excited to give it a good send-off. It's been a nice run as is, despite this story literally being a crossover no-one asked for, and hell...I've had some other ideas pop up here and there for, shall we say...a spin-off or two.
> 
> Regardless, this doesn't mean I'm finished with this crossover idea, not by a long shot. I still intend on getting to Episode 1 and 2, possibly 'Epistle 3' if interest still holds me, and yes, you will still get to see your favorite Walking Dead characters deal with a vast, multiversal alien Empire hell-bent on 'unifying the grand ole multiverse as a whole.
> 
> For now though, I hope you all enjoy this chapter for those who are still sticking around (despite the revising I still need to do for the previous chapters), and as always
> 
> Stay frosty mates.

Chapter 11: Something Secret Steers Us All…

 

_We have seen the Youngling’s entrance...the one between the worlds…flashing between the barriers...taken from her natural habitual place in the universe..._

 

_We know of the Shu'ulathoi’s desire to learn of her origin...they seek it like the Myrmadont to its prey._

 

_We do not doubt that they will be successful._

 

_Our finest poet described it thus: Gallum galla gilla ma; Where to now? And to what end?_

 

_Something secret steers us all…_

**_We shall not name it…_ **

 

    “Alright, I think I see where we need to go.” Says Kenny from atop a pile of rubble, looking at the ruined buildings that lined the alleyways ahead of them. He climbs back down to ground level soon after, motioning towards the others to move closer.

It’s been three hours since the group escaped from the hospital, having made no contact with any other rebel cell since. Even then, as they made their way from the hospital and towards the train yard, Clementine became more and more disconnected from the others, barely making a sound as she secluded herself in her own thoughts...

    “Let’s uh...let’s take a right here, and keep going forward. We should hit the railway within a few hours.”

    “Got it…” Says Lee, looking back to Clementine as she stared off towards the Citadel.

    “...Clementine?”

Startled, she quickly snaps out of her daydream, quickly looking to Lee.

    “Hmm?”

    “Come on, Sweetpea. We’re moving on.”

    “Oh, okay…”

With a quick motion, she manages to move herself to Lee’s side, following him closely as he, Kenny, and Carly made their way around the piles of debris that laid in front of them.

“Damn...I really hope those guys got outta there in one piece.” Says Kenny as he carefully moved himself over what remained of the road.

    “Yeah...you and me both.” Lee responds, looking back towards where they came from for a moment. “But I’m sure they got outta there. They’re not gonna let the Combine get them that easily.”

    “Hope you’re right on that…”

Eventually, the four of them come across a ruined building blocking the way forward. Cursing silently, Lee would check his map once again to see that the only other way through would either be the streets far to their right, or the decrepit apartment blocks that laid just to their left.

    “Alright, people, looks like we’ve hit a fork in the road!” Lee yells to the others, stuffing the map into his ragged backpack carefully, as to not damage it further.

    “It’s either we take the streets, or we cross through those shelled apartments!”

    “...You shitting me right now?” Kenny asks. “That’s like saying we’re stuck between shit-creek, and hell’s highway.”

    “You got any better ideas?” Carley asks Kenny, pointing towards the apartments. “Way I see it, dealing with Headcrabs and Zombies is better than risking an encounter with one of those...damn Cremators. They’re weak, easy to kill, slow...it’d be a piece of cake.”

    “Yeah? Well there’s another thing you’re forgettin’; Headcrabs are sneaking little shits. If you don’t catch ‘em in time, they’ll latch onto you, and by then you’re deader than shit.” Kenny then turns to Lee, motioning towards the right.

    “We should take the streets. Cremators are slow, we can easily sneak around them, and there shouldn’t be a whole lotta ‘em out here.”

    “Kenny, you heard what Annie said! They’re flooding the streets with them, what makes you think that’s gonna be better than those apartments!”

    “Because I don’t want to see a little girl get turned into one of those fuckin’ things!”

    “Yeah?! Well getting turned into a pile of ash isn’t any better!”

    “Hey!” Lee would finally interject, silencing the two immediately. Once things had settled down, he proceeds to let out a small, irritated sigh as he comes to his own conclusion.

    “Look, both options are dangerous as can be, but we don’t have much of a choice here…”

He then looks down over at Clementine, again seeming to be lost in thought...until Lee called to her once again.

    “Clementine?”

    “...Huh!?” Clementine says, quickly looking around for a few moments, before realizing she was being asked a question.

    “...Oh, yeah Lee?”

Lee would get down onto one knee, motioning back to Carly and Kenny.

    “We’re gonna have to make a tough choice here, sweetpea. Kenny thinks it would be a good idea to take the streets...Carly things it’s a better idea to head into the shelled apartments...but, well...what do you think?”

It seemed strange at first. She hadn’t made a decision like this since the vote on Ben back in Crawford. She thought long and hard on it...long and hard enough to cause Kenny to sigh in frustration.

    “Come on, Clem! make a choice here already!”

    “Kenny!” Lee would snap back, quickly shutting the southern man up. Once he refocused his attention onto the little girl, she would finally have her answer ready and waiting for him.

    “...The Streets. I think...it’d be better than trying to go through there, with all those monsters.”

She could clearly see Kenny giving her a silent nod of approval, while Carley wore a look of disgruntled annoyance...one that was clearly directed to Lee as he stood himself back up.

    “Then it’s settled. We’ll cut through the streets, and make our way to the trainyard. Stick close, and keep an eye out for any of those…’Cremators.’”

 

Not long after that, the four would begin to weave their way in and around the decrepit roads leading from the center of City 17 itself. Remnants of past skirmishes were left scattered across the sidewalks and inside the buildings flanking both sides of the roads. Rebels hung out of broken windows, burnt to a crisp by long-dead fires and left to rot within.

And just ahead of them was the corpse of a Cremator, strewn across the rusted wreck of an old jalopy.

Upon closer inspection, its dark green cloak was torn to hell, exposing its more mechanical body to the world. Its pale, lanky arms were filled with bullets of various sizes, its exposed, bulbous stomach was also in the same condition - synthetic blood oozed out from the wounds left by whoever shot at it, and the whole of it was left disfigured and damaged beyond recognition. The most notable feature would be its head; the metallic sphere that represented the Cremator’s head and brain was detached from the rest of its body, surprisingly showing little damage save for the wires that were cut from the base of it ‘neck’.

    “God damn…” Kenny mutters as he kicked the heavy metal head of the Cremator aside. “How the hell did they manage to pull of the thing’s head?”

    “Who knows.” Carly answers, looking away from the ugly-looking body in disgust.

    “Well, whatever happened, that's what seems to be the best way to kill it.” Lee would reply as he inspected the body in closer detail.

    “How the hell do you know that?”

    “Look at it, Kenny; The damn thing’s been shot to hell, and its head’s been ripped clean off. What does that tell you?”

    “That it takes a shit-ton of fire power to kill one of these lanky shitbirds?”

    “And it only takes ripping their heads off to fully kill ‘em.”

    “Like those monsters! Like Walkers, I mean…” Clementine responds, a hint of enthusiasm accompanying her statement.

    “Yeah, Like...uh...like Walkers, hon.”

    “What the hell even are Walkers? That just a different name for Zombies?” Kenny asks, mainly out of confusion on the topic. Lee gives him a silent “I have no idea.” In response, quickly motioning them to move as to avoid the topic further.

 

As the three continued down their path towards the railway, they come across a rather ghastly sight.

Several burnt bodies laid in a messy pile on the sidewalk next to a burnt out rebel hideout, with nothing left on their charred corpses to identify who they were - or what side they were even on. To their right, a trail of synthetic blood led into one of the many ruined alleyways that led deeper into the desolate sector of City 17, obviously of Cremator origin.

    “Jesus…” Lee muttered, kneeling down near the still-smoking remains.

    “Looks recent...”

    “No shit it’s recent, Kenny.” Carley would snap, unholstering her own Colt Python in the process.

    “Hey, did I ask for your fuckin’ attitude, missy!?” Kenny yells back

    “Guys, please!” Lee interjects once again. “Come on, keep a level head out here!”

    “Yeah well I'm _sorry_ your girlfriend here doesn't like what Clem here chose, Lee!”

    “What the fuck makes you say that, huh?!” Carley yells, clenching her pistol tightly.

    “Oh don't give me that bullshit! All because she wanted to go with the streets, you've been acting like some pissy little bitch!”

    “You know what, fuck you Kenny! You’d do the same thing if Lee went with the apartments regardless!”

 

As the adults continued to bicker and yell at each other, Clementine’s gaze would be drawn back to the Citadel that loomed over the city, losing herself in her train of thought as she wondered how something like that could even be built, or if anyone could even reach the top of the metallic tower. Her thoughts then turned to Gordon and the others - How would he get to Barney? Is Eli alright? Is he all the way up there, or is he near the base of that tower? Everything seemed to blur around her as she began to ask more and more questions, even Lee yelling at Kenny and Carley didn't seem to bring her out of her daze.

What did seem to take her out of it, though, was the raspy, ragged breathing of some unknown entity just around the corner, accompanied by the hard, heavy footfall of boots and the rattling of equipment. Soon enough she would feel herself being pulled to cover by Lee, adrenaline now rushing through her veins as she realized the danger they were all in.

    “Shh, shh!” Hushed Lee, holding the little girl close. “Don’t make a sound, sweetpea...just be very...very...very quiet.”

The two watched as three Cremators marched through the ruins, dragging a few more deceased rebels behind them and throwing them into the pile of charred corpses. In a matter of mere seconds they raise their Plasma throwers and disintegrate what were left of the bodies, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ash. Lee quietly pulls the both of them further back into their hiding spot, making sure that Clementine didn't see any more of what the Cremators were doing. They were dangerously close to the hulking synths, and he knew that one simple mistake could end in being burned alive.

Meanwhile, Kenny and Carley sat adjacent to one another as they watched the Cremators burn the pile of bodies to ash, noticing Lee and Clementine hiding dangerously close to the small group.

    “Aw shit…” Kenny muttered quietly. “Those two are gonna get caught back there!”

    “Kenny, I know what you're thinking, but don't.” whispered Carley. “If we do anything to piss them off, we’re putting all of our lives at stake. We just...we just need to stay quiet, and they’ll wander off.”

    “Yeah and what if they don't?! What if-”

Just as Kenny was about to list off the possibilities, the two notice one of the Cremators jerking up, looking towards Lee and Clementine’s hiding spot. Despite the roar of the plasma throwers, something had gained its attention - perhaps Clementine or Lee moving further away from the open, a noise emitted from the two, or perhaps both options. Whichever the case, it began to march over toward their spot, plasma thrower at the ready.

    “Shit! We need to get them outta there!” Kenny yells, training his own AR2 onto the hulking synth. Before he had a chance to fire, Carley would quickly pull him away into cover, aiming the Pulse Rifle away from the encroaching Cremator  
    “Kenny! What the fuck are you doing, do you want to get their attention as well?!”  
    “Missy, I don’t give a damn! The moment that thing spot’s ‘em, the rest of ‘em will come running over and god damn burn them alive!”

    “You don’t know that, Kenny! They’re still focused on the bodies, we JUST need to-”

    “Fuck you! I’m not lettin’ Lee and Clementine die on my watch!”

Just as Carley was about to stop Kenny, he shoves her aside and takes aim at the Cremator, gripping the rifle tightly as he lined up his shot.  
    “KENNY! NO!”  
Several shots ring out from Kenny’s position as he pulled the trigger, hitting the Cremator within its torso region. It lets out a pained, wheezing gasp as it turns towards the two, training its Immolator onto the pair.  
    “...Aaaaaah SHIT!!!”  
Quickly, Kenny and Carley dive into cover as it lets loose several bolts of hot, green plasma, singeing the ground and walls around them. Lee and Clementine looked on in horror as the other Cremators were alerted to Kenny’s position, readying their own immolators.

    “KENNY!! CARLEY!!” Lee yelled, readying his SPAS-12 towards the group if Cremators that have now gathered around the alleyway where Kenny and Carley had taken cover.

    “LEE!” Kenny yelled over the roar of the Immolator, his voice being barely discernible within.

    “Just hold tight! We're coming to get you two!”

    “It's too late for that, Lee! Damn things will be on ya in seconds! Just grab the girl and get outta here!”

    “I'm not leaving you two to die, you understand me!”

    “Lee, just go!!” Carley yells, barely able to see the old survivor past the blinding plasma fire. “Take her, and get yourselves some place safe!”

    “Carley, I-”

    “JUST, GO!!”

Lee, as stubborn as he was, could only look on in defeat as the rest of the Cremator squad positioned themselves at the entrance to the alleyway. There was no clear way yo tell if they could make it out unscathed, as the Cremators blocked his view into the alley, but with one determined effort, he forces himself to take a hold of Clementine’s hand.

    “Stick close to me, Clem.”

    “But Kenny! And Carley!”

    “We can't do anything. We need to go, now.”

    “Bu-”

    “Clementine!”

She recoils slightly at Lee’s harsh tone, unaware of the immediate regret he showed soon after. Carefully, he pulls her away from the desperate scene, doing his best to keep the both of them from focusing on the Cremators as they marched further into the opposing alleyway.

 

Once the coast was clear, Lee and Clementine take refuge in an abandoned shop, careful as to not make their presence known outside. As Lee scoured the old building for any traps or isolated OTA units, he started to notice Clementine acting more and more reclusive to him...chalking it up to the environment taking a toll on the girl, he proceeds to sit himself down next to her once the building was secured.

    “...Clementine?”

She flinches a bit at the call of her name, expecting Lee to yell at her again. Instead, what she gets was the exact opposite of what was expected.

    “...Clementine, honey...are you doing alright?”

There was a bit of silence that followed soon after, something that made Lee visibly concerned for the girl’s well-being. Even after everything he’s been through, he could tell when something was finally taking its toll on someone, and for Clementine he assumed it was the loss of Kenny and Carley that finally got to her the most.

    “...No...I’m not...really doing okay, Lee.” Clementine finally whispers, a small peep of an answer that only made Lee worry even more.

    “I know things are rough, but we’re almost home free, Clem.”

    “But...everyone else...Kenny, Carley, Annie...those other guys...Gordon...they’re all gone...”

    “Aw Clementine, no, don’t go thinkin’ like that…”

    “But they are…” She snivels a bit, wrapping her hands around her knees.

    “...You’ve gotten scarier, too...but…”

    “Clementine…” Lee wraps an arm around the curled-up nine-year-old, speaking to her in that all-too-familiar soothing tone-of-voice.

“Things are tough, I understand...Kenny and Carley, they didn’t deserve that at all...but we still got each other, right? What happened back there...I didn’t mean it, I was worried...I panicked...because I just wanted to get you out of that situation. We’re a team, like always...and teams don’t leave each other alone. I will _never_ leave you, Clementine, alright?”

    “...But you...you didn’t make it...no one did...Kenny, Duck, Carley, You…”

    “ _Clementine, sweet pea whatever happened back then, that’s different to what’s happened here. I promise you - no, I swear to you, I will NEVER let that happen._ ”

Tears began to well in Clementine’s eyes as soon as she heard those words, embracing the old rebel as tightly as humanly possible for a nine-year-old.

    “I-I’m so sorry, Lee! I-I didn’t mean to-to say that mean stuff, you’re not scary! I- _I don’t want you to leave!_ ”

    “Shh, shh...it’s alright, hon...this whole city is just getting to ya...we just need to get you back into a safe place...maybe a cabin somewhere out there, away from it all.”

    “Y-Y-Yeah...a cabin...a cabin sounds really nice…or a...a big treehouse, with more than one room” She proceeds to wipe away the tears that’ve rolled down onto her cheeks, sniffling and coughing a bit as she got back into the proper order of things.

    “A big ole treehouse...you really like treehouses, huh Clementine?”

    “...Yeah…”

    “Tell ya what...when this is all over, and we find a nice quiet spot with everyone else...I’ll build ya the biggest treehouse you could ever imagine.”

    “...Really? One with glass windows, and-and comfy beds, and a kitchen?”

    “Well...maybe not exactly like that...but it’ll definitely be something, I can promise you that.”

    “...You’re making a lot of promises, Lee.”

    “Is that bad?”

    “No...just...I don't know if you can keep to all of them.”

    “Aw...don't worry about that, I will keep to all of them, that...well, that I can also promise.”

With that said, the old man stands himself up and helps Clementine onto her feet soon after, dusting debris off of her soon after.

    “...Alright...come on, let's get moving. Stay close to me, and keep quiet, okay?”

    “Okay…”

 

Slowly, the two finally see the Train station come into view just a few kilometers ahead. The excitement and tension began to build as they got closer and closer to that beacon of hope, that chance to live a better life somewhere out in this new, harsh world Clementine found herself in.

 

_That all comes crumbling down when they see the Dropships deploy just ahead._

 

    “No...No, no, no no no no!” Lee yelled as he saw those Dropships releasing their payload. Several OTA squads rushed out of their cramped compartments and onto the ruined, cracked asphalt leading to the train station...but these ones were completely different compared to the ones previously encountered.

Instead of the normal, standard-issued grey suit and gas mask, these units wore all-white combat suits, the clean pure white contrasting with their blood-red shoulder guard and eyepiece. The insignia on their plastic shoulder guard was unlike what the standard-issued Combine wore - a cracked Human skull, right in the middle of that familiar claw-like symbol seen on the propaganda and buildings of City 17. Their helmets contrasted vastly from that of the standard issue OTA helmet - a singular red eyepiece covered a majority of their face, seconded only by the mouthpieces just inches below, and two dome-like devices sat on either side where the ears would be located.

 

And they were all heading straight for them, weapons at the ready

 

    “CLEMENTINE, RUN!!” Lee yells, grabbing Clementine’s arm firmly. He pulls her into a nearby Alley as these soldiers let loose a hail of dark matter pulse fire, practically carrying her at this point. Frightened beyond belief, the little girl watches as these soldiers round the corner, just as Lee runs into one of the nearby buildings.

    “Lee! What are they?!”

    “I don't know, sweetheart, just keep looking at me!”

As he carried her through the remnants of the building, they'd hear more of these soldiers just outside, barking out orders left and right.

    “No...God dammit not now, not here!”

    “Lee!” Clementine cried out, holding onto the old Rebel tightly as he tried to find a way out.

    “It'll be okay, Hon, just-”

His sentence was cut mid-way by the butt of an AR2, causing him to fall back in pain. Everything became a blur as he heard Clementine scream his name - or at least, he thought he did. The next few moments were but a muddled mess as he slowly picked himself back up, noticing that she wasn't anywhere to be seen.

    “...Clementine?!” Lee yells, unstrapping his SPAS-12 from his back-side.

 

The only answer he gets in return were muffled screams, just outside of the building.

    “CLEMENTINE!” Lee yells again, quickly stumbling outside only to see her being dragged away by the white-cladded OTA units. As he readied his SPAS-12 towards then, he felt a sharp, excruciating pain from his lower side up, crying out as he fell to the ground.

    “LEE!!!” Clementine screamed as she saw her old guardian take several pulse rounds into his backside, watching in horror as another one of these OTA units approached him from behind.

    **< ::OVERWATCH, HELIX-2 contained, Non-Citizen pacified, expunging with extreme prejudice.::>**

    **_< <AFFIRMATIVE. SKYSHIELD DEPLOYMENT APPROACHING YOUR LOCATION . DEPLOY STERILIZERS AND PREPARE FOR EXFILTRATION . ETA: ONE . MIKE .>>_ **

    **< ::Copy. Pacifying HELIX-VECTOR-TANGO.::>**

 

_The last thing she sees was Lee, struggling to reach her as the OTA unit placed a boot into his back, AR2 trained on his head._

 

    “NO! YOU SON OF A BITCH!! CLEMENTINE!!” Lee yells out as he watches the OTA unit send the butt of its OSIPR into the back of Clementine’s head, knocking her unconscious as they dragged her away. As he felt the boot press down against his back, he knew full-well he wasn't going to make it. A single thought clawed into the front of his mind as he felt the cold barrel of an AR2 press against the nape of his neck.

_Failure..._

    **< ::Administering Antiseptic::>**

He closed his eyes, waiting for the final shot to end his life.

But it never came.

Though he heard the shot piercing the air, he never felt it. Instead, he felt the soldier stumble forward, gurgling and choking on some sort of liquid. It's only when it fell forward that he saw blood spurting from its throat - The whole of its neck piece was shattered and broken, a clear indication that a bullet had passed through its neck and out through the throat. Everything began to blur and darken around him as he heard someone call out to him - a male, with a thick southern accent.

Kenny. He knew it was Kenny just by that voice alone.

But nothing mattered now...only the girl…

    _“...Clementine…”_

 

_And then everything fades to black._


	15. Chapter 12: A Disagreeable Disposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The end of it all...or so she thinks.
> 
> As she finds herself hanging within the confines of the Citadel, Clementine - struggling with the fact that things are going out of her control - attempts to find a way to break free from her captivity.
> 
> But even then, she finds herself in quite the disposition...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are. The final chapter to this Crossover no one asked for.
> 
> A fair warning to all: This shit is about to get dark. I've tried to keep things as accurate/as authentic as I could to a combine-like experience, even though this is supposed to be primarily a Walking Dead/Half Life crossover...though it's gotten to the point to where it honestly is more of a Half-Life Crossover than a Walking Dead crossover...but nevertheless, I loved writing up Clementine reacting to the shit that Half-Life throws at the player, from the Antlions to the Combine, to Rebels and so-on so-fourth.
> 
> For anyone still tagging along after all of this, it's been a blast writing this for you all, even IF no one asked for this. As always.
> 
> Stay frosty mates.

Chapter 12: A Disagreeable Position...

 

_Rise and Shine, Miss Clementine…_

 

**_Rise, and, Shine…_ **

 

_“...Ngh...wh-...”_

When Clementine wakes up, she finds herself staring into nothing but darkness...a familiar callback to when she first arrived in this god-forsaken place. The only difference being that her arms and legs weren’t clamped into a cramped pod. As she began to regain her senses, she struggles a bit in her small pod, realizing that she couldn’t even move a muscle...let alone struggle.

Looking around only revealed nothing but the interior of a strange, metal pod - similar to the one that currently held her in place, only this resembled more of an actual pod and less of a black containment cell that kept her in place Nevertheless, as she was gathering her bearings, she feels the whole pod jerk forward, swinging slightly as it was set into motion towards...somewhere. Due to how dark it was and how small the pod was, she had no discernible sense of direction...the only thing she could guess was that she was moving forward.

 

Then, perhaps out of some cruel sense of irony, the pod opens itself, and reveals just where she was, and her heart nearly skips a beat out of of shock.

 

It was hard not to scream your lungs out when you’re hanging several thousand feet off the ground. Especially when you can’t see the ground below you.

 

“Lee?! Lee!” She called out in desperation, yelping as the cell she was held in jerked forward into motion. Despite being unable to move, she felt a growing sense of dread as the cell moved along the rail just above her, attempting to stay calm in the face of this…slow, terrifying roller coaster ride from hell.

It's only when she passed through a full-fledged military factory that she began to have an understanding of just what she got herself into.

On either side of her, separate rails directed these so-called ‘prisoner pods’ into various compartments of the factory, releasing their terrified, barely conscious payload into large medical machines. Unable to turn away, she watches as one poor man is sent into one of these machines - which begins to perform a cruel form of surgery on him, his body altered without anesthesia - various organs are removed and replaced with technology unknown to the frightened girl. His vocal cords are replaced by bits and pieces of machinery, his brain surgically altered with various augmentations and biomechanical enhancements, his skin paled beyond its natural pigment, eyes turning from a bright blue to a soulless chromatic gray and chest heavily modified to a various extent. She’d be physically repulsed by the operation playing out in front of her, shuddering at the thought of being sent to one of those machines.

Once the surgical procedure was complete, the husk is sent into another pod and transported along-side Clementine, still attempting to break free of her metallic containment cell…

...and then she finds her breath being taken away as she enters the next chamber.

Thousands upon thousands of Transhuman soldiers stood motionless below her, OSIPRs held closely at their sides. On each side of these columns of OTA, more of these ‘prison’ pods are directed into large, black containers, where the husks are then outfitted with their standard-issued equipment. Various mechanical arms attach bits and pieces of their armor onto the synthetic humans, moving from the abdomen to the chest, arms, shoulders, and finally the head. Once their helmets were firmly attached to the rest of the suit, they shoot awake as if the mere action of completing their armor activated something within them and, taking hold of the OSPIR issued to them, they march out to join the columns of OTA awaiting deployment.

The last thing the terrified girl sees before being taken away were the Dropships that soon enter in front of this column, the sound of their uniformed marching still being heard as she was transported into the next area.

Despite the constant struggle to break free from her containment, Clementine couldn't do much except anticipate where she would arrive next...though this would be diminished quickly upon arriving at the entrance leading to a large, immaculate office. In front of her stood two of the very same soldiers that orchestrated her capture, their red eyepieces piercing her own gaze as a familiar face made her appearance known.

“...Oh my god... _Clementine_?”

Judith stood there, stunned by the apparent captive held in front of her.

“M-...Miss Mossman?!” Clementine cried out. “Wh-why are you here?! Where am I, what's going on?!”

“I…” she hesitates to answer the girl, who was now on the verge of tears.

It didn't take long for her to figure out why Judith Mossman was standing in front of her though...and it only served to make things worse for her.

“Please…I want to go home...I want to go with Lee...please...I…”

“I can't do that.” Mossman finally interjects, her earlier guilt-ridden, apologetic attitude now replaced by a cold, firm tone of voice.

“But…”

As one of these soldiers approached the girl, Mossman would motion for them to stand down.

“I'll take her from here.” She says again in that same tone of voice, turning towards the scared and confused little girl.

“Don't struggle, It’s no use...Until you're where he wants you, there's nothing you can do…” She looks down for a moment, that air of guilt returning to her as quickly as it did before.

_“...I’m so sorry...for all of this...”_

Soon, she was directed into a large, luxuriant office, where upon she would be greeted by two individuals. One, the older gentleman she recognized as Doctor Breen, sat at his desk with a disturbingly warm smile, hands clasped together in anticipation...were it not for the fact that he was considered a dictator and a ‘traitor’ by the Resistance down below, he’d give off the impression of a rather courteous, old gentleman. The other individual, on the other hand, gave off an air of superiority to her despite his aging features and lack of empathy in his gaze.

“So...this must be the troublemaker I've been hearing so much about.”

Breen stands himself up from the desk, walking over to Clementine.

“Doctor Mossman has informed me of your little adventure with Doctor Freeman and his...'rag-tag' group of criminals...quite the brave little girl aren’t you, siding yourself with such a dangerous individual?”

“...Y-y-you’re the...man on the screen, aren’t you? The guy that...that says all that mean stuff about Gordon and my friends…” Clementine asks, her voice cracking a bit under the tension between her and her newfound captor. Breen, perhaps out of a subtle sense of sympathy, seemingly lets out a hearty chuckle as his answer.

“My dear, those...rabble you found yourself with are not your friends...but...your assumption would be correct. I am Doctor Breen, as you may know...Head Administrator here within City 17. But that is of little importance here, what is important...is just who you are.”

He moves closer to the restrained girl, studying her like a researcher assessing a foreign specimen under a microscope. From her facial features and stature, to bone structure and even insignificant features like eye color, scars, and other distinct marks. Resisting the temptation to place a blood sample under a Combine-Matter Analyzer, he moves away from his subject, letting out a soft sigh soon afterwards.

“Tell me, miss...Clementine...just where exactly are you from? What are you? Are you even...human, my dear?”

“...What? W-what are you talking about? I-I’m not a Walker...I-If that’s what you’re asking” Clementine stammered, fear seeping from her voice.

“Walker? Hmm…” He motions for a soldier to step forward, placing himself between the girl and the augmented transhuman.

“Send a report to my associates. I want an analysis on what these ‘Walkers’ are when the time comes for Processing.”

“P-Processing?” Clementine asked.

“...Wait...Processing?” Judith joins in. “Wallace, you can’t be serious...she’s just a child! We could find a better use for the information she holds with a Memory Extraction Process, not-”

“Judith, you seem to have misplaced your faith once again.” Wallace interrupts with a wave of his hand. “While yes, she holds information vital to our cause, the Combine wouldn’t be willing to allow a near-human child to exist without...proper assembly, of course.”

“Wallace, please, just think what this means!” Judith begs. “She could have the key to ensure Humanity’s survival! If she goes through Processing we may lose vital information regarding her origins, her age, even just what she is!”

“W-w-wait! Processing?! What’s going on, what are you going to do to me?!” Clementine cries out, to which the withered-looking individual next to Breen would answer with a cold, indeterminant voice.

_“I suggest you keep your mouth shut, girl, if you know what's best for you.”_

“Consul, please.” Breen interjects, focusing his attention squarely on Clementine

“You see, The Combine are always in need of dedicated, hard-working, loyal individuals to work within the confines of wherever they need to be, be it the Citadel...or in the former case, Nova Prospekt...Processing just _prepares_ someone for the workforce needed…”

Clementine remained silent, mainly out of fear that speaking out would bring her deeper into danger than where she was already...but she couldn't help feeling absolutely terrified at the slow realization of what he meant by “sending her through Processing”. Noting this, Breen motions to a few soldiers standing guard within the office.

“...Ready A Memory Replacement Unit for her. And see to it that the data is extracted successfully. I want to personally review it myself before transferring it through to Our Benefactors.”

She attempts to keep her breathing at a steady pace as Breen approaches her Once again.

“Well, I believe our meeting has come to a close. It was a pleasure to finally meet the little anomaly herself.”

He then turns to Judith, motioning her towards the panel in front of his desk.

“Send her on down. I'll have the Consul oversee the operation personally...and bring in Eli when you get the chance! I want to talk to him face-to-face, after all these years apart.”

With a somber nod of confirmation, she types the command into the panel, and the pod would begin to move once more, this time heading towards a hallway just across from Breen’s desk.

“W-Wait! Wait! Please! I-I don't want to die! Miss Mossman please!! Someone!!”

She watched as Judith turned away from her as she begged, screamed and yelled for help, the woman’s guilt-ridden face being covered only by Breen’s final appearance as he brought forth Eli Vance from his containment pod.

Moments later, as her yelling turned to sobbing, she finds herself moving into a large, complex surgical room, with various mechanical arms held above a cold, black metallic bed. Stationed just at the furthest-most end of the medical bed was a spherical device attached to yet another mechanical arm, hooked into a large Combine monitor by the base of it. As she was dragged out of the containment pod by two accompanying OTA units, she sees the Consul enter as well, until she’s restrained to the bed via both a containment field, and various straps restricting her movement.

“Remain on guard until further notice.”

 **< ::Affirmative.::>** Says one of the soldiers through his modified VO-CODER, stationing themselves at the entryway soon after. As Clementine nervously studied the surgical tools held just a few feet away from her, she feels her hat being taken off by the Consul, replaced by the spherical device as it clamped itself from the crown of her head all the way to her eyes.

“My hat! No! Give it back, please!”

 _“Quiet!”_ yelled to Consul, to which she complies hesitantly and nervously. Despite being unable to see much, she could still hear the Consul as he moved about in the room, tapping away on a nearby console and barking orders in that tired, yet harsh voice of his to the soldiers that remained within.

“You there, secure that unit tightly on her head. I want to get as clear of a picture as possible when we begin. You, take over the console.”

She listens closely as the shuffling continued from one end of the room to the other, feeling the device slowly tighten around her forehead as an OTA unit readjusted it to her size. Her heart raced as she heard the machine slowly whirr to life, slowly feeling little pinpricks run across her scalp, like little ants or spiders running through the tangled mess that was her hair. Were it not for her arms being restrained to the table, she’d be tempted to scratch at her head ti make it stop.

Then she hears those dreaded words, ones that will remain in her memory for perhaps the rest of her life.

_“Let us begin the process. Initiate Memory Extraction”_

Suddenly she feels a slow burning sensation come to fruition, mixed with a subtle tingling sensation spreading throughout the back of her head. While she couldn't see exactly what was going on, she could hear just about everything else playing out on a monitor just behind her. She started to feel a surreal out-of-body experience as she listened to herself, her mom, her dad, Lee, and a multitude of other people speak through the monitor itself, jumping from moment to moment in her life until it began on when she first met the convicted college professor.

Lee…

She began to tear up as she heard the conversations they had with one another, listening as he killed her former babysitter with a hammer, the ride out towards Hershel's, the Motor Inn...all that time she hears the Consul musing over these clips, primarily on those associated with Walkers.

 _“Fascinating...Simply Fascinating”_ He mutters, typing into the console behind her.

Time felt like it was dragging on as she was forced to listen to the traumatic moments within that hell-hole of an apocalypse, from Larry’s head being crushed in by a salt-lick, to Mark’s legless body crawling down the stairs, her own kidnapping and eventually Lee’s final moments with her. Yelling would only bring forth a sharp stinging pain in the back of her head, shutting her up instantly.

_“Hmm...interesting. We may very well have a lead...quite the bargaining chip we have here, with the Combine...you don’t cease to amaze me, girl.”_

“P-Please...just...I...wanna go home…!” Clementine cried out, struggling against the restraints as she did so.

_“...That won’t be necessary.”_

“W...w-wha-”

_“We’ll finish this off here. You’ve been a wonderful help, dear...but I’m afraid we can’t have you running about like so…The Combine see little use in someone such as yourself, even if...you’re a biological anomaly. You’ll serve well as a Stalker.”_

“Wait! W-wait, please!! I-I don’t want to die! I don’t want this processing-thing!”

Ignoring her pleas, the Consul types into the console, and she hears the mechanical arms activate, moving around into position. As they moved closer to their target, a distant chain of explosions could be heard deep within the citadel. Sparks of electricity arc from the surgical machine as a surge of energy overloaded the control panel behind her, frying the advanced circuitry within

**_< <PRIORITY ALERT. POWER FAILURE DETECTED WITHIN SECTORS: FORTY-FIVE, SEVENTEEN, EIGHTY-ONE, AND OH-FIVE. DARK FUSION FAILURE DETECTED. ALERT. ALL AUTONOMOUS UNITS: EXPEDITE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY. REPEAT: EXPEDITE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY.>>_ **

_“...WHAT?!”_ The Consul bellows, causing Clementine to flinch out of fear. Almost immediately, the memory replacement device attached to her head would be ripped off by one of the OTA units.

_“Secure her, NOW! I want whatever the hell is going on to be investigated, understood!?”_

**< ::Affirmative. All units form up on Helix Vector Tango, designate this squad as: SWIFT NINER.::>**

The next moment she feels herself being unstrapped from the table, forcefully being dragged out by the OTA units as they rushed out of the surgical room, the Consul following closely behind. Panic would begin to set in as she was forced to follow the OTA units, listening closely to the robotic alerts that the intercom released.

**< <PRIOR-OR-ORITY WARNING-NG: ENDO-DO-DOGENIC BREACH D-D-DE-DE-DETECTED IN: SEC-SECTOR ONE. SEV-VERE DAM-DAM-DAMAGE DETECTED. STR-R-R-UCTURAL INTEGRITY: EIGHTY PER-PER-PERCENT. EXPE-PE-PEDITE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY.>>**

**< ::OVERWATCH, Respond: We are in heavily damaged sector.::>**

**< <:ALL UN-UNITS IN: SWI-I-IF-IFT NINER: EXPEDITE IMMEDIATE-ATE-ATE-ATELY. DEPLOY. DIAGNOSE. DEPLOY. DIAGNOSE. DEPLOY. DIAGNOSE. ALERT. ALERT. ALERT. ALERT…:>>**

**< ::Uh...OVERWATCH compromised, all units be advised we are in a contaminated zone. Ready weapons, move out post-haste.::>**

Another chain of explosions could be heard above as Clementine was dragged towards what they thought were one of the exits. Distant yells echoed through the now-damaged hallways and towering walls of the Citadel as bits of debris and rubble rained down from the impossibly-high abyss above.

 

Then another chain-reaction of explosions shakes the ground around them.

 

**< ::SHIT! LOOK OUT!::>**

As debris fell towards the squad, Clementine - knowing that she couldn’t make it away in time - closes her eyes and covers her head, waiting for the end to finally come.

 

_Instead, the only thing she hears was a chilling, unnatural silence_

 

_“Time...Miss Clementine?”_

Opening her eyes, she sees the debris just inches away from crushing her. The Consul - having been behind the squad this whole time - would be just seconds away from his own death, covering his face from the oncoming debris crashing into the bridge they stood on. Unfortunately for Clementine, she realized that she couldn’t move - something that brought back that all-too-familiar sense of dread when first encountering him.

_The G-Man._

“My, my...you’ve made...quite the impact upon the world. I am impressed, my dear…very impressed...”

He slowly begins to move towards her, the background fading into that ever-familiar black void.

“Unfortunately, with...various circumstances, I’m afraid my Employers have deemed you more of a ‘liability’ than an asset. As such...I am afraid I must...detain you…”

“...Wh-...what? D-Detain? What do you mean?”

“For a young girl such as yourself, I expected no more than what I have seen here myself...you see, due to a...lack of information on your end, my Employers and I have deemed it best to...send you to a place where you can do _no harm_ ...and where _no harm may come to you_ …”

Eventually the scenery changes to a more man-made setting. Clementine, shocked as to find herself sitting down without having done so in the first place, finds herself within an old military Osprey, flying to an unknown destination.

“I do apologize greatly for your circumstances...but...I assure you, another performance review will arrive within the coming...well...you’ll just have to wait and see. For now though, I do believe this...is where we must part ways.”

“...W-wait! Are you...are you leaving me here?! What about my friends?! What about Gordon?! What about _Lee?!!_ ” The little girl yells out, tears now slowly making their way down her cheeks.

“Our...associate...is in good care, for the time being. I can assure you...you will join him...soon...In the meantime…”

_A large, white door opens to the cockpit of the Osprey as soon as he pauses, giving the girl an insidious, smirk, as if he was subtly mocking her from behind that disturbingly-inhuman appearance_

 

**_“This is where I get off…”_ **

“No...No! NO! WAIT!!” Clementine screamed as he began to walk towards the white door, unable to move from her current position. She cried out towards the G-Man time and time again, until he finally disappeared behind that white space of an opening, disappearing entirely from the Osprey.

 

And so she finally breaks.

 

She sat there for the longest time, bawling and crying, muttering pleas into the dark void just outside the cold, metallic vehicle.

 

_“Please...Please...I-I don’t...I don’t want to be alone”_

 

To her surprise, she’d feel a hand patting her shoulder - an unfamiliar hand. One that caused her to yelp in both surprise and in fear.

“Woah, hey! Easy there, kid!”

Revealing himself would be a man dressed entirely in military gear, a white camo pronounced on the uniform underneath his advanced piece of body armor. A simple gas mask covered his face, the green lenses only revealing two human-like eyes, As she sat there, confused and terrified, the man simply gives her a gesture of no harm.

“...I was...just uh...welcoming ya to the club…”

“Who…” She sniffled a bit, wiping away the tears that had clouded her vision.

“...Wh-who are you…?”

“Uh...name’s Adrian Shephard. Corporal, part of the HECU unit...I uh...don’t expect you to know that.”

“Oh...I’m...Clementine...First Grader...uh...part of Atlanta, I guess…”

“Well...pleasure to meet you, _‘First Grader’_ Clementine.” He proceeds to hold his hand out, to which the girl responds with a similar gesture, shaking his hand awkwardly and slowly.

“...So...wh-where are we?”

“Well...hell if I know, kid. Been here for a long time...I think…”

“Oh…”

“Ah, cheer up, it’s not entirely that bad...I mean...at least you’re not alone, right?”

“Yeah...it’d...it’d be a lot more scary if I was alone.”

_“Welcome to the club…”_

 

_And as they drifted on throughout the void, Clementine looks back out into the dark abyss, the thoughts of her friends still sticking close to the front of her mind._

 

_Lee…Gordon..._

 

_I just want to go home…_

 

**_THE RIGHT GIRL IN THE WRONG PLACE_ **

**_END PART 1_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there we are. The end of Part 1.
> 
> Remember when I said back at the beginning that I plan to take this throughout Half-Life's Episodes (Yes, even Epistle 3/Episode 3) and even back into The Walking Dead? Well after a bit of encouragement, some more research, the recent debacle with **_Hunt Down the Freeman_** (and its sexy memes that, so far, are getting better and better as they merge with FULLY MODELED FERNS [AKA Half Life Cinematic Mod's wondrous memes]), I decided to continue on with that idea.
> 
> Just not right now, of course.
> 
> I need to take a bit of a break with this setting, as...well, lets be honest: Its a crossover no one asked for. Bogging down AO3 with my crazy shit will, in my opinion, just spoil the feeling of the story.
> 
> I promise that I won't abandon this shit like Valve did with Half Life 2 (or what Telltale's doing with Clem's character since Season 3 for Christ's sake), but I want to do something more...well...traditional, in terms of crossovers.
> 
> So ye, starting probably within a month or so, I'll be delving into the classical Last of Us/Walking Dead crossover territory, a crossover some people actually wouldn't mind if I remember correctly.
> 
> In the meantime, though...well... _This is where I get off._
> 
> Thanks for all those who stuck around with this shit, if there is/was anyone that was following this, and stay tuned for that next story!


End file.
